Breathe
by LadyCharliEM
Summary: "You have terrible aim!" She yelled at him, throwing her arm out to indicate there was an already broken window next to the one they fell through. Hawkeye shrugged. "I was working with more weight than usual. Plus I was distracted." Darcy should have known by now that following Jane and her crazy theories could only lead to trouble. Slight AU. Clint/Darcy
1. Chapter 1

Breathe

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"You have terrible aim!" She yelled at him again, throwing her arm out to indicate there was an already broken window right next to the one they fell through. Hawkeye just shrugged. "It would have been fine but I was working with a lot more weight than usual. Plus I was a little distracted." Post-Avengers Slight AU Clint/Darcy

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I now have a wonderful Beta so I'm going back and editing my first two chapters, I've added a few words here and there but not anything that actually changes the story.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy the story and please let me know what you think!

Disclaimer: Obviously none of the people I'm writing about belong to me, I just like to play with them!

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Chapter 1

"Jane, you cannot be serious!" Darcy tried to sound angry and imposing, which was almost impossible when she couldn't speak louder than a whisper, at the frantic woman who was currently packing a small suit case with random things. A hairbrush, a pair of old jeans, a bend metal coat hanger?

"I have to leave now, it will be at least 5 hours before they notice I'm gone, by then I'll be half way to New York." It was the dead of night, and Darcy was beginning to worry about Jane's mental state. Maybe it was Pop-Tart withdrawal? Darcy had spent the first two days in Norway looking for Pop-Tarts, only to be faced with bemused locals who had no idea what she was talking about, apparently Kelloggs didn't think Norway needed rectangular sugary toaster pastries just yet.

"Jane, you can't go to New York on a hunch!" Darcy whispered as loudly as she dared in the semi-dark room they were staying in while Jane was on an 'important assignment from S.H.I.E.L.D'.

"It's not a hunch! What did you think this all was?" The smaller woman threw her hands out to gesture at the room. "The private jet, the ridiculous amounts of money? It was all a distraction." Jane whispered back, sounding like a conspiracy maniac. She was now throwing in only one trainer and a bottle of Darcy's contact lenses cleaning solution, she probably thought it was shampoo.

Darcy's eyes were wide when she asked, "A distraction from what?"

Jane paused, for the first time she looked up at the younger woman, tears threatening to spill out of her eyes and a lost look on her face. "I don't know, but I think-" She sighed, Darcy felt her heart clench at her friends pain. "I hope it's him. I think he's back and they're hiding it from me." Jane covered her mouth with her hand as she gasped at her own words, trying not to let the tears fall.

Darcy shook her head, knowing she would regret this the second she said it. "Fine, but I'm going with you."

Jane gave a small sad smile and mouthed the words 'Thank you' as Darcy began to pick up useful things they would need to get to New York. Passports, purses and mobiles. She stopped for a second and took the batteries out of their phones before shoving them in each of their handbags, she had seen people do this in the movies and knew it made it harder for people to track them, although S.H.I.E.L.D would know exactly where they were and what they were planning to do as soon as they stepped into the airport.

Darcy was thankful she had just started reading her book. It was going to be a long flight, and she would need something to do.

"Jane, are you sure about this?" She asked, her tone gentle. Jane nodded as she started the engine of the rental car.

"I have to be." Was all she said as they sped out of the research facility they had called home for the past week, hoping that the 'research assistants' who were more useless then Darcy was and obviously S.H.I.E.L.D agents decided to have a lay in today, giving them more time to 'Thelma and Louise' it to New York as Darcy had now affectionately labeled it. She knew Jane wouldn't appreciate her humor; so she kept quiet as they raced down the empty roads at 2 in the morning.

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Darcy was oddly happy. Jane had turned out to be right, like she always was, and now Darcy was standing in the abandoned streets of Manhattan. Well, she thought, not really abandoned, as she easily counted 20 weird alien things wreaking havoc, chasing people down the streets and flying above her in weird space pods. And there she was, standing as calmly as she could, waiting to spot a man flying around with a giant hammer and a red cape. She gripped Jane's hand tighter when she saw something red flying around the tops of some buildings and was about to yell at Jane when she stopped. The red figure sent a bright yellow pulse behind it towards a giant black robot space snake thing. Just Ironman, she thought bitterly, trying not to freak out over the absurdity of this whole situation.

She watched Ironman fly past the tallest building in New York, Stark Tower, of course Tony Stark would own that. She rolled her eyes, but then caught a glimpse of a familiar red cape blowing in the wind.

"Jane!" Darcy turned her head towards other woman, her eyes never leaving the two men fighting on the balcony so high she almost couldn't tell if it was them or not. "I think that's him!" She pointed at the blonde man, Jane whipped around, a look of fear on her face. Probably not the happy reunion she was hoping for, Darcy thought as they began to run towards Stark Tower. Darcy was relatively fit but she still struggled to keep up with the smaller woman who was at least 10 feet in front of her. She couldn't help but wonder what help her and Jane were in a battle zone. Sure she supported Jane when she wanted to see if Thor was back, but he was obviously busy with another crisis. She couldn't help but feel a little silly and out of place.

She stopped a few blocks later, her sides and lungs burning, no matter how much oxygen she breathed in, it didn't feel like it would ever be enough. She looked over to Jane, who was standing next to her outside Stark Tower; she was staring up at the fight scene above them. Now what? Darcy thought irritably. She wanted to say out loud but couldn't, mainly because she couldn't breathe, and secondly, because she thought it might be too harsh.

"Now what?" Jane said out loud, her words frantic, having caught her breath back before Darcy. She sounded helpless and lost, Darcy could see the pain and distress written all over her face. She knew she probably wore a very similar expression on hers as she watched her boss and her closest friend break down, watching the man she loved fight for his life and the safety of the city, possibly the world.

Darcy had a sinking feeling in her stomach, it felt oddly similar to the feeling she got earlier on the plane. It was one of those moments when the plane sinks a bit lower in the sky, a perfectly normal part of flying, but as she sat in her cramped economy seat, the plane getting lower, there is a pause in all noise, passengers stop talking, the engines go eerily quiet and as her body moved down with the plane, her stomach remains in the same place, now lodged in her throat as she feels weightless for a split second before everything returned back to normal.

This moment felt like that. She waited for everything to go back to normal, for her stomach to right itself and her feel her feet on the ground, but that moment didn't come. Instead she heard a scream coming from her right, she glanced over, Jane was covering her mouth with both hands, her eyes wider then Darcy ever thought they could get with terror. She looked back up to the fight above and saw what looked like Thor hugging a man in dark green and black. Darcy knew better. She watched as Thor and the other man looked down directly at them. She couldn't see facial expressions, but she could guess what they were thinking by what happened next. Suddenly, Thor was thrown off the edge of the building and falling straight towards them.

Darcy waited for him to stretch out his arm and have his hammer instantly fly into it, Meow meow or whatever, but he kept falling, obviously weakened by whatever that weird hug attack earlier was. So all she could do was watch as he fell to the ground, it was almost beautiful how his body moved with such grace, it almost seemed to be in slow motion as he got closer and closer…

There was a huge crack, and the concrete beneath her feet shifted as Thor crashed and made a very large impact less than 20 feet in front of them.

Jane was the first to recover and ran straight over to the small crater that had formed around Thor, and Darcy just looked back up from the height he fell. There was no way a human could survive that. She didn't move. Refusing to get closer to what she could only imagine to be 'God Slurpee'. A shiver ran down her spine, and she suddenly felt dread run through her veins. What was she thinking? She was going to die here. How was she doing to explain this to her dad? She was never going to finish that crappy romance novel she was reading!

She was frozen with fear she didn't even scream when a man appeared in front of her surrounded by green smoke. His back was towards her, but she could tell from his long black hair and dark green outfit that it was the same name who threw Thor from the building. He was slowly walking towards where Thor had landed. Where Jane was!

Darcy felt her feet moving before she realized where she was going. She ran past the darkly dressed man and threw her hands up in front of her, her brown cardigan blowing out behind her in the wind, revealing the cream t-shirt with the cartoon of a gingerbread man on. She didn't care how stupid or insignificant she looked, she needed to protect Jane.

"No!" The pale man stopped in front of her. He raised an eyebrow slowly at her and she suddenly felt a weak as she looked. "Stop it. Haven't you done enough?"

He tilted his head, looking over her shoulder. She followed his gaze and saw a perfectly intact Thor lying on the ground, he was bloody and covered in filth but she could see him still breathing. Jane had tears streaming down her face but wasn't making a sound as she ran her hands over his body, checking for broken bones and then started wrapping her scarf around Thor's middle where Darcy could see his uniform was stained red already.

"Clearly." He said before looking back over at the young girl in front of him.

"Isn't pushing someone to their death from a skyscraper enough for one day?" Darcy asked, not knowing why she was asking questions to this man, he was obviously insane or evil. She didn't know which one she would prefer.

He smirked at her question, his eyes telling a story she didn't understand. "I find two usually does the trick." She felt her forehead crinkled up and began to wonder if he was speaking from experience and if so, she was well on her way to being number two. Only she was a lot more breakable than a God. She swallowed, trying to push the feeling of throwing up back down. He kept looking into her eyes as he stroked his mouth, a plan formulating in his head. He looked around at the surrounding buildings; most of them were destroyed in some way or another. Darcy could see the cogs in his mind working and he seemed to be mentally ticking off a check list, Darcy pondered what was next, wincing at her own silly thought that it could be redemption. "Maybe I should take a break. After all, my army seems to be coping nicely with everything on their own."

Darcy felt herself nodding, she knew now wasn't the best time to speak but couldn't stop the words from coming out. "I hear there is amazing old architecture with some of these buildings… Oh, wait…" She looked around at the various nearby sky scrapers that were on fire or missing vital chunks as she spoke, her sarcasm was so obvious she hated herself so much in that moment for being unable to control herself and her dorky wit.

She waited for the pain or the darkness, hoping he might make her a quick kill but it never came. She looked back at him, dreading what she might see but finding him smiling at her joke. Not a smirk like before, which was too creepy and made her shudder just thinking about it, but this was an actual amused smile. He looked almost human.

"I think that's all quite over rated. Wouldn't you like to see the view from Tony Stark's private balcony?" He asked, his smile warping backing into that insane grin. She felt her eyes go wide as he reached out towards her. She only got a second to glance back over to Jane and Thor. Thor was conscience now, and Jane was helping him up into a seated position. His eyes caught Darcy's then flickered over at the man who now had hold of both her arms. She saw the look of fear rush over Thor's features at this situation as he yelled out towards them.

"Brother!" Darcy looked back over to the man that was so close she could see the sweat forming on his forehead before the street disappeared in a cloud of green smoke, and then she felt her feet unable to find ground to stand on for a second. That passed quickly and soon she was standing on Tony Stark's balcony, exactly where she had been looking up at 2 minutes before hand. She tried to push herself away from who she know knew was Loki, Thor's brother, but his grip was too strong.

"Let go of me!" She said, her hands forming fists as she tried to hit him. She wasn't very successful.

She watched as he reached his hand out and a weird gold spear flew into his grip. What was it with these brothers and their boomerang weapons?

He released her only to place the end of what turned out to be a very pointy and dangerous looking stick close to her chest. She sighed and rolled her eyes.

"Hey buddy, if you're thinking what I know you're thinking, then you got another thing coming!" Darcy spat out at him, carefully yet defiantly crossing her arms over her cleavage and in front of that scary blade.

Loki smirked again, his eyes danced with joy as he tested her by pressing the point into her forearm that covered her chest, not hard enough to cut her but enough to prove his point. "And what would that be?" He asked smugly, his eyebrows rose, challenging her.

She opened her mouth to respond with something, she hoped it would be clever and sharp when she was pushed back from him and into a glass barrier by a green blur, and Loki was suddenly nowhere to be seen. One second he was in front of her, next… just air…

She looked to her left, into Tony Stark's bachelor pad and saw a giant green monster standing opposite Loki. Were they friends? She hoped not, swallowing again and turning around, praying for some kind of exit. Why wasn't there a freakin' fire escape out here when she wanted one? She held herself as close to the edge of the clear balcony barrier as she could, trying to get as far away from the colossal green dude and Loki as possible. She suddenly got her wish when she felt something give behind her and lots of what looked like ice started to surround her as the glass she was pushed up against weakened and shattered. It took a moment to register in her brain, but she realized she had started falling the same journey Thor had not minutes before.

She closed her eyes and this time didn't think about her dad or her crappy book only that this felt like flying. This must be what freedom is like, she pondered as the only sound to fill her ears was the wind rushing by.

Xxxxxx

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No Clint in this chapter but I swear he'll be here soon enough! This chapter is also the shortest, they do get longer as the story goes on.

Please review, I live for them and always appreciate the comments, good or bad. They also motivate me to upload new chapters sooner… hint…

Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed it.

Charlie

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	2. Chapter 2

Breathe

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First I'd like to thank everyone who reviewed my first chapter. I can't believe the amount of people who added my story to alert or their favourites already and gave me positive reviews! All the excitement people have for my story has made me proofread this chapter much faster than I thought so I could publish it sooner!

SleepySandy – Thank you! I love Loki/Darcy too but this idea just got stuck in my head after watching the movie and wouldn't leave!

Mylove24 – I hope I don't disappoint with the first Darcy/Clint meeting! I agree, there need to be more fics with this pairing.

Dhauren – I can't believe you reviewed me! I love your fic, Made To Be Ruled so I feel quite honoured you like my attempt lol.

Sweet . Bravery – I like the stories where they meet in New Mexico but after watching Avengers I think everyone will start updating/writing stories to be canon.

Selene Illusinia – Thank you for the review! I hope you like this chapter. Jane and Darcy didn't know they were entering a battlefield until they were there, as far as Jane thought, they were just going to find Thor who was being kept hidden by S.H.I.E.L.D in New York. Kind of bad luck/timing on their part!

TarynWulf, Mew of Fire and Almighty Stalker – I hope you all enjoy reading this chapter and it doesn't disappoint!

Thank you all again! It really made my day when I opened my email to find the reviews waiting for me to read! You are all amazing!

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This is no longer an un-Beta'd fic (Yay! Thank you so much Sandra, I don't know how I can repay you!). So, I've come back and changed a few grammar/spelling mistakes.

Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this and aren't disappointed with the direction I'm heading with this story!

Disclaimer: Obviously none of the people I'm writing about belong to me, I just like to play with them!

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Chapter 2

Darcy's hair whipped around her face as she fell nearly 2000 feet to her short life's demise. She stretched her arms out but couldn't unclench her fists. She wanted to curse at Jane for dragging her into the middle of a war zone, but she couldn't. It was her choice to follow her, and she was glad she did; otherwise Loki would have killed both Thor and Jane in a heartbeat if she wasn't there to distract him. She wanted to curse Loki for teleporting her, but it wasn't his fault she was pushed against the damaged glass barrier, although it was his fault she was so high up in the first place. She tried to blame the green ogre thing but couldn't. A smile she didn't even try to stop spread on her face at the ridiculousness of her situation.

This time yesterday, she thought, her biggest concern was finding Vanilla Ice Cream Pop-Tarts and hoping no one found the taser she had stashed under her mattress. Now, she wanted to laugh at herself and where she was except the air was rushing past her so fast she was finding it hard to breathe any of it in.

Screwing her eyes shut even tighter, she wondered how long it would take before she hit the ground. With the height she fell from and the speed she was accelerating, she must be dropping pretty fast. She hopes when she reaches the hard sidewalk that it will be so quick it will be over before she knows it. She just hated the idea of her becoming 'Darcy Slurpee', but it was too late for that now.

She was running out of time and all she could think about was becoming a 'Darcy Slurpee'! She was wasting her final moments with stupid things. Shouldn't she be coming to some kind of philosophical realization right about now? Yet nothing, except what they now charge for a slurpee at her hometowns local 7/11? She wondered if they still did that 'Bring Your Own Cup Day' special every year. One year she and a couple of friends from school stole their school soccer trophy and filled that to the top for a buck. Then they spent the rest of the afternoon taking turns drinking flavored red icy liquid out of the enormous silver trophy and snapping hilarious photos as proof it was them who stole it. That was an awesome day. She wished she had more days like that now, just doing nothing and chilling with friends.

She was suddenly struck with terror.

She didn't want to die.

She didn't want this to be the end. She was only 23.

She'd never tried passion fruit or drank brandy or smoked a cigar. She'd never been to Paris or Ireland!

She'd never been in love.

She felt tears well up behind her closed lids and somehow managed to pull her arms in against the howling wind to cover her face with her hands. She let out a cry of anguish and then felt a thump on her chest, and Darcy abruptly felt her body moving in a different direction.

Was that it? She thought. It was almost a let-down. She knew that was a stupid thought but that was a lot easier than she anticipated. She felt a little uncomfortable, and her ribs felt a bit bruised but apart from that she felt her dying went rather well. She opened her eyes, hoping her vision wasn't too blurry from the tears. She didn't know what to expect but the glowing eyes and gold and red face of Ironman was certainly the last thing she assumed would be waiting on the other side.

"Hello there." The digitized voice of Tony Stark greeted her.

Darcy looked down at the ground, which was closer than before but now getting further and further away. She threw her head back and took in a deep breath in and laughed!

"Fuck! Thank god!" She cried out, throwing her arms around Ironman's neck, hugging his solid body shell to hers.

"I've certainly been called worse." He responded.

Darcy laughed, it was an amazing feeling. "I bet you have!" She kissed the cold metal that was his cheek and gave a loud 'Mwah' sound as she pulled her lips away. "Thank you so much! Now I can eat passion fruit and try brandy and smoke a cigar!" She kissed all over the left side of his face as she gripped tightly onto him. She was 2 seconds away from losing her life, and she never wanted that to happen again.

"Sounds like a fun night out. Be sure to invite me." Darcy was sure if that Ironman outfit had eyelids then he would have just winked at her. Her smile got even wider, and she couldn't believe the rush of joy that was passing through her. She looked around, finally taking in the skyline of New York City. She's never been before, although she never expected to be there in these circumstances! She saw they were getting closer to a building with a man perched on the roof. He was dressed all in black but his arms were completely bare, he was holding a bow and shooting arrows out in every direction, his aim was amazing as she watched him hit every target rapidly, perfectly and consistently.

"Here's where I drop you off, honey. Be sure to text me when you want that night, I expect it as my reward for saving your life."

"Ironman, I will name my first unborn child after you!" Darcy promised. She was confused when Ironman told someone called 'Jarvis' to draw up the paper work for this verbal contract but just laughed manically at him. She wasn't sure if it was the adrenaline still rushing around her veins or not.

Ironman slowly got closer to the building and got the attention of the arrow man using a radio device.

"Hey, Hawkeye, I got you a present."

Darcy smiled and gave the stern looking stranger a small wave.

"Hi." She said politely. She was sure she was still smiling like a crazy person, but who cares! She just had a near death experience; she was allowed to be happy about being alive and not some mess for someone to scrap off the pavement.

The man, Hawkeye Darcy noted, shook his head and responded. "It's not even my birthday, how can I ever repay you?" His tone and face were a perfect example of seriousness but there was something in his eyes that gave him away. Darcy laughed as Ironman helped place her on the ledge next to where Hawkeye was shooting, and she suddenly felt her legs shake. It must be all that adrenaline, she thought as she nearly tripped onto the roof. Hawkeye merely glanced at her struggle before aiming an arrow at another alien thing and killing it a millisecond after. "Did you drug her?" He asked Ironman as Darcy slowly moved away from the edge to a corner on the roof where she sat down and pulled her legs close to her body, wrapping her arms around her knees. She needed to stop for a second, to recover.

Ironman shook his head and gave Hawkeye the finger before turning away to leave. "Screw you, Robin Hood. At least I get girls falling into my arms." Then he flew away.

There was an awkward pause on the roof as Hawkeye gave Darcy a once over; then promptly went back to his targets and fired another arrow.

"If it makes you feel better, I was falling to my death, not for his charms." Darcy didn't know why she had to justify what just happened. He probably knew it would be a matter of life or death situation and not just some fangirl swooning over Tony 'Ironman' Stark. "I'm Darcy." She yelled over the noise of gunfire, space craft crashes and alien screams.

"I'm busy." He yelled over to her.

"Alright. Rude." Darcy muttered to herself, turning her head away from him and beginning to take in her surroundings. Everything around her was in chaos. She could see aliens on their flight machines zipping around them only to crash or fall off to their death after one of Hawkeyes arrows finds its way into their head, usually their eye. Darcy shivers at how scarily good he is with a bow.

She slowly managed to find her feet and walk over to the edge of the building ledge, close to where Hawkeye was standing. She gave him a quick glance, which mainly consisted of her checking out his amazing huge veiny arms, and then began to look down at the ground, hoping to get a glimpse of Jane or Thor and be sure they were alright.

She sighed when there was no sign of them. Damn, she thought, she hoped Loki hadn't gone back to finish the job. Then again, up against that hulk thing he might not even still be alive. She took a step back from the ledge, suddenly finding herself scared to be that close to the edge when she noticed one of those weird aliens had jumped on to the other side of the roof and was now making its way over to them very quickly. I guess they finally figured out who was taking them down in the sky mid-flight.

She reached her hand out for Hawkeye, trying to get his attention. "Link?" She called out to him, immediately scolding herself that now was not the time to make jokes. He seemed to understand her inappropriate name though as she watched an arrow sink deep in the alien's eye socket and then fall to the ground, a short distance from them.

"You're welcome." He said, voice full of arrogance, without even turning from his spot. Did he just kill that thing without looking at it? Darcy wondered with her mouth wide open but decided now was not the time for that and ran over to the now dead monster and grabbed what looked like a pretty bitchin gun. She yanked it from its owners arm and turned around to face Hawkeye's back. Straight away she noticed another alien dude approaching him from a different side. Hawkeye was too busy shooting fast approaching aliens that had now apparently all figured out where the arrows were coming from and wanted to stop him. She aimed the gun at the intruder, one arm inside and supporting the weapon and the other running over its edges hoping to find a trigger or something. She let out a little yelp and couldn't help herself jumping back when a blast went off and the alien fell over the side of the building.

Hawkeye quickly looked over at her and smirked at her very inexperienced actions. She frowned at him; although couldn't help but think he was incredibly sexy when he looked smug and covered in sweat and dirt, he could at least be thankful she just saved his ass, geez.

It wasn't long until more aliens started dropping onto the roof. Darcy had managed to back herself into the corner that Hawkeye was standing, she was shooting the aliens on the roof and he was dealing with any that were flying past. They worked well together, taking a few down but they were soon over powered. Darcy's weapon took that perfect moment to stop working so she threw it at the nearest creatures head and took a step backwards so her back was pushing up against Hawkeye's. She turned her head to face him and saw he only had two arrows left in his quiver. She couldn't help but swear out loud, causing him looked around at her.

"Any ideas?" She said, hoping he would save them both. He was a good guy after all; didn't they always have a plan?

"Only one." He said as he turned around so they were facing each other. He wrapped his arms under hers and around her body, and Darcy was very aware of how intimate this position was. She looked up into his eyes and noted they were an odd sort of green color with small flecks of different shades; maybe it was just the light…

His arms pulled her closer to him and she couldn't help but blush at the feeling of his hard body against hers. A warmth rushed through her body and found a home just below her navel when she was suddenly struck with the thought that he was going to kiss her. Was that his plan? They were either to get pushed off the edge of this building or shot with a weird alien gun thing, and his only idea was to make out with the random girl who he'd be duty bound to protect by Ironman. Darcy resisted the urge to roll her eyes when she felt his hands tighten their grip behind her, so she decided to just go with it.

Reaching her hands up she placed one on his jaw line and the other at the base of his skull and pushed herself up to meet his lips. He immediately responded, pulling her body even closer to his and giving her a hard opened mouth kiss. Darcy couldn't help but moan at his passionate response, her arms held onto his head tighter and she tangled her fingers in his short brown hair as one of his hands slide up her back, under her cardigan. God this was hot, she thought as she felt him shift and step up onto the nearby ledge and lift her body with him, spinning her around to the corner of the building, all while they were still lip-locked. She felt dizzy.

He finally pulled back, that smug look on his face again. Darcy tried to step back from his body, she felt overwhelmed and couldn't think straight when he was pushed up against her like this, his smell filling her senses. Her eyes narrowed in confusion when she couldn't move. He wasn't budging his arms from around her waist. She looked at one of the strong arms wrapped around her and absentmindedly ran her hand down the damp flesh, brushing over four little straps above his wrist, then back up again and moved her head to look up at his light green eyes. Where were they again? Darcy was sure she was in the middle of something before… His voice brought her back to reality.

"Thanks sweetheart, not exactly what I had in mind, but I'm not one to complain."

Darcy opened her mouth, not understanding what he meant and about to speak when he jumped off the building with her still in his arms. Darcy's arms found themselves wrapped around his middle and screamed as she fell to her untimely death… for the second time that day…

Xxxxxx

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There was a huge smash and glass sprayed down over them. Darcy had somehow managed to roll away from Hawkeye and groaned out loud at the aches and pain she felt all over her body. She sat up slowly and noticed the man was a few feet behind her, closer to a large window that she could safely assume they had crashed through previous moments before.

"What the fuck?" She screamed at him. Her arms felt itchy and she looked down to see small shards of glass imbedded in her cardigan sleeves, she must be bleeding underneath. She took off the brown knitted material to stop anymore glass from cutting her. Hawkeye was getting up off the floor and walking over to her, offering his arm to help her stand. She grabbed onto it and pulled herself up, discovering a sharp pain in her right thigh as she did so. "You have terrible aim!" Once she was standing again and her head cleared she yelled at him again, throwing her arm out to indicate there was an already broken window right next to the one they fell through.

The hawk man just shrugged his shoulders and looked down at her. "It would have been fine, but I was working with a lot more weight than usual." Darcy hit him as hard as she could in the chest, which wasn't hard enough for her liking, he probably didn't even feel lit under that body armor. She felt herself go red with anger and embarrassment.

"Fuck you!"

Hawkeye ignored her cursing and walked straight past her, heading towards the nearest elevator at the other end of the office floor. He threw a glance back at the younger woman and the smirk that she was beginning to think was his trademark reappeared. "Plus, I was a little distracted by a beautiful damsel in distress throwing herself at me."

Darcy froze but quickly recovered to chase him. He was now waiting patiently at the elevator doors, having pressed the down button which now glowed. His arms were crossed over his chest. Darcy would usually have found the oddly humanizing action like waiting for a lift in the middle of a battle amusing but right now she was more focused on proving this asshole wrong. She pointed a finger at him and poked him in the chest. "I did not throw myself at you. I was freaking out, and you took advantage of me." She then crossed her arms over her chest mirroring him, proud with her statement.

"So do you always kiss strange men when you start 'freaking out'?" He asked, his voice calm but with a hint of amusement. He leaned in closer to her and brushed some shards of glass from her messy hair. She sucked in a gasp of air and felt her eyes go wide as she stared at him getting closer to her.

"Er…" Darcy could only manage a strangled sound as her mouth fell open. His scent of sweat, dirt, Kevlar and something unique and manly filled her nostrils, and she found it to be an incredible turn on. Her head started to tilt to the right slightly and her IQ lost around 80 points as she leaned in closer to this arrogant, irritating and remarkably hot man.

The sound of a small 'ding' broke her out of her train of thought and she had to practically shake her head to focus. The elevator doors slid open, and she heard the man chuckling to himself as he strolled into the lift and pressed a low down button. She quickly jumped between the doors as they began to close and soon found herself alone in a confined space, with this egotistical jack-ass.

"Usually I just taser people when I freak out, but I had to improvise." She said casually as they both watched the little numbers light up as they descended from the 40th floor to the lobby. She cursed herself wishing she had enough self-control to say that earlier instead of acting like a lusty school girl. She practically heard him smirk and glared at him as they listened to the elevator music for a few awkward moments. "Where are we going now?" She finally asked. Darcy took a second to fish out her phone, which was now smashed to pieces, from her pocket and sighed. There was no way she could get in contact with Jane now.

"I'm going to regroup with the rest of my team. You are going to wait in the foyer until help arrives." He replied, his voice no longer held that amused tone.

"What? No, I need to stay with you. The safest place I can be right now is with the dude with the weapons." Darcy said, shocked at the idea of being left alone and defenseless in a building that could collapse or get set on fire at any moment. "Even if he is stuck in the middle ages." She muttered under her breath, referring to his choice of defense.

She looked back over at the man standing next to her, his gaze continued to look at the numbers that were counting down. She could see him trying to think but had no idea if it was a good or a bad thing.

"Fine. If you're coming with me, then you need some way of protecting yourself." She smiled and felt like clapping her hands together at the idea of following an archer into the middle of a war zone.

"Like what? Some kind of alien gun? I mean a normal gun would be fine, but those space guns are totally cooler." Darcy knew she sounded too excited about the prospect of getting a gun, but she didn't care! If she was about to enter an interplanetary battle, then she wanted a crazy awesome weapon to protect herself with.

"Here." He passed her his last arrow. Darcy felt her face fall at such a useless tool.

"What am I supposed to do with this, throw it?" Darcy put her hand on her hip and turned to face Hawkeye. He was still facing forward, looking at the floor numbers. 7, 6, 5.

"Just wait." 4, 3, 2, 1. "It's a bola headed arrow." He said with a wink.

Darcy saw him click something on his bow and a red light flashed before the arrow suddenly exploded in her hand. Three small but surprisingly heavy balls, each attached to the other by some thin metal line, began to wrap themselves around her body, pulling her arms tightly against her chest and tangling her legs together so she tripped over and landed roughly onto the ground with a thud and a groan.

The doors 'dinged' again and opened. Hawkeye merely raised an eyebrow at the distressed girl, tied up on the floor by his feet before stepping out of the elevator.

"What the fuck!" Darcy growled at his retreating form. "You can't just leave me here!"

"Don't worry, I'll come back and get you later." He called out to her from half way across the foyer, heading to the exit.

"I hope you die!" Darcy called at him then screamed out in frustration as the lift doors began to slowly close on her. She lay on the floor, totally helpless. Asshole. Well, at least she got a nice view of Hawkeye's butt at this angle, she thought as the doors finally cut off her view of the outside world.

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Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed it. Please review, they really are a great motivator and a brilliant mood enhancer!

Charlie

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	3. Chapter 3

Breathe

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Again I'd like to thank everyone who reviewed my last chapter. The continued support and positive feedback has made me so happy, I can't believe the amount of love people have for Darcy/Clint. I'm also shocked at how funny people are finding this story, it's certainly made me have to up the ante in my next few chapters!

Selene Illusinia – Thanks again for such a speedy review! And don't worry, I like to think Clint made sure no one else could get to Darcy in that elevator while she was tied up ;-)

Mushroomking98 – Thank you for the review, I'm glad it made you laugh and hope this one has its moment as well!

Dhauren – Thanks for the review, I'm so happy you liked the next chapter! As for revenge… You'll have to wait and see ;-)

Fragment Of A Fairy Soul – You're review made me laugh, I love a good pun. You should fear no more as I now have an amazing Beta and I'm not going to let her ever get away! There' some great Clint/Darcy stories out there, one of my favs is Gift Of Asylum, it's on AO3 but check it out if you can. Thanks for the review and welcome to wonderful world of Clint/Darcy!

Picchic – Thanks for such a great review! I also find myself laughing out loud on a train or in a coffee shop at a story or podcast so I totally understand! I'm thrilled you like it and hope this chapter doesn't disappoint.

Mew of Fire, Phinale, mylove24, Greeneyesdontlie, TarynWulf, ClockedInsanity, Rebecca Taylor and Booklover9477 – Thank you all for the reviews, they mean so much to me to read that people like my silly little idea of how Darcy and Clint could have met. You are all amazing and I hope you enjoy this chapter, it's a bit slower paced as the battle is over now but the romance has just begun!

Xxxxxx

This is Beta'd chapter! I would like to thank the amazingly dedicated and supportive Sandra. You are brilliant at correcting me and actually making my story make sense! It's great to have someone who shares my enthusiasm for Darcy!

Disclaimer: Obviously none of the people I'm writing about belong to me, I just like to play with them!

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Chapter 3

This was, hands down, the scariest situation Darcy had ever found herself in.

She had been attacked by an Asgardian energy blasting Destroyer, bantered with an insane God, fallen to her death from over 2000 feet from the tallest building in New York City and had dealt with Jane on the day they ran out of coffee and yet, sitting in S.H.I.E.L.D headquarters, about to explain her actions was definitely top of the list.

She was sitting at a large metal table that was in an awkward triangle shape with Director Fury in the middle of the long side with Agent Barton, Agent Romanoff and Agent Hill on the left and Agent Coulson and oddly enough, Thor sitting on the right. They had all been formally introduced when she entered the room and felt very small and in over her head when she sat down. She couldn't help the blush that appeared on her cheeks when she shook hands with Agent Barton, although she wasn't sure if it was because he left her alone in an elevator tied up for over an hour or because she kissed him.

Darcy was now sitting on her own at the opposite side of the table, the tip of the pyramid desk pointing rather judgmentally at her. She shifted her weight uncomfortably in her chair and couldn't help but feel like a piece of meat on display, about to be eaten by a shark, or five. Thor wasn't included in that as Darcy had spent so much time with in New Mexico to know he was really a puppy dog.

Darcy gave Thor a small smile and wave. He gave a bright and wide smile back, and she felt a little better, at least someone was on her side. She took a deep breath in and decided to bite the bullet.

"Aren't you meant to be dead?" She accused, looking directly at Agent Coulson, poking her index finger in his direction.

His features immediately turned dark as he scowled at the young woman. "How did you hear about that?"

Darcy began to play with a ring on her middle right hand finger, feeling sheepish at the foot-in-mouth comment but not wanting to look it in front of some pretty scary people. "People talk. You're pretty spry for a corpse." She joked, holding back the urge to wink at the older man. She couldn't. It was met with 4 blank faces, an amused smirk from the Hawk dude and a bitter laugh from The God Of Thunder.

"Thank you, Miss Lewis, but that is not the issue on hand here." Agent Coulson replied, his tone lighter than before but still held authority.

"Oh, that." Darcy said quietly. Of course this was about her stupid idea of following Jane into a crazy battle where she could have been killed half a dozen times or more.

"Let's start from the beginning. Who's stupid idea was it to get your dumb ass involved where it didn't belong!" Agent Fury practically yelled at her. He didn't raise his voice very high, but Darcy was oddly reminded of how her dad used to get angry at her when she was younger.

"We figured it all out." Darcy lied. She was completely clueless about S.H.I.E.L.D's bullshit assignment that they sent them on but didn't want Jane to get in anymore then she already was. "I didn't want her to go alone, so I went with her."

"So, you both left under the noses of our Agents and spent over a grand on plane tickets to New York and got caught in the middle of a battle that was way out of your depth?" Fury commented, looking at a cream folder in front of him, but she could guess he already knew it word for word. Damn, he just had to remind her that she spent all her savings on a stupid plane ticket. Her student loan had pretty much wiped out her ability to have money, and it had taken nearly six months of working for S.H.I.E.L.D to accumulate that pitiful amount of money.

"To be fair, I didn't know any of that was going on until it was too late. I just thought Jane would find Thor and they would walk into the sunset all lovely dovey and I'd go catch a show on Broadway." Darcy said, it was the truth, how was she supposed to know there would be flying space whales and The Avengers? Fury raised his eyebrow at her, and she shrugged her shoulders. "I wanted to see Wicked. But now I think I've had enough magic and tormented sibling rivalry for a lifetime."

"Excuse me?" Agent Coulson spoke up. Darcy was getting a little worried that no-one else but him and Fury were speaking. She looked over at the two other women in the room and saw Maria Hill was scribbling down things super-fast and Natasha was staring at her, stone faced.

"You know, Wizard of Oz? It's a play about the Wicked Witches origin story, only with songs and flying." Darcy explained, wide eyed that none of them seemed to understand her reference. "It won like a load of awards and stuff. I don't think I'll watch it now though. I've defied gravity and didn't enjoy it."

Fury gave a slight cough, and Darcy straightened up in her chair. So much for staying on topic, she thought bitterly to herself.

"Right, well. Having read the reports and reviewed the footage, it appears you found Thor and made your way towards Stark Tower. Care to explain what happened next?" Darcy looked at the long hair blonde man and pinched her lips together.

"Yeah, we were on the pavement below and saw there was some kind of fight going on between Thor and that crazy Loki guy. Then something happened and Thor was suddenly falling over the edge." Darcy paused as she saw Hill point at something in Fury's folder. She assumed it correlated with what she was saying as he nodded for her to continue. "Er, and then we like ran over to find him passed out in a crater. Jane was totally freaking out by this point, like epically crying. I've never seen her like that before. Anyway," She took a deep breath in and continued to talk. "Loki then poofed in front of me," Darcy waved her hands in front of her but stopped after a second, realising none of them might understand that she was trying to represent smoke using her arms. "He was heading over to them, and I knew he'd already done too much damage; so I ran in front to try and at least slow him down until Thor got up." Darcy glanced over at Thor and saw he was looking off in the distance. Darcy knew this must be hard for him, to relive the betrayal of his brother. "Anyway, long story short, Loki and I chatted about architecture before we poofed onto Stark Tower; then he went all pervy and tried to poke me with his big stick before the big green dude pushed him through the glass doors into Tony's crib."

Darcy finally stopped and looked at everyone, hoping to get some kind of reading from them. She really didn't want to talk about what happened next and hoped all the information she had given was enough. Agent Hill was still focused on her note taking. Coulson was now flicking through a folder similar to the one Fury was looking at a few minutes ago, only his was thicker, and Darcy swore she saw a glimpse of an old school year book photo of her. Thor was still off on another world, a lost puppy look in his eyes. Fury was now leaning forward with his elbows on the table and chin propped up on his fingers. Romanoff was looking as blank faced as ever, and Barton was perched on his seat, a leg pulled up in front of him, trying very hard to avoid eye contact with Darcy while trying not to look too suspicious or draw attention to himself. Smooth move, Darcy thought sarcastically.

"According to Miss Foster's report, when Mr Banner's Hulk attacked Loki, you were inadvertently pushed off the balcony, is that correct?" Coulson asked. Darcy was thankful for his calm and collected way of phrasing it, but Darcy still felt a chill run through her veins at the memory.

"Not really. I tried to get away from the fight, and crawled backwards to the edge of the balcony. I guess the glass wasn't..." She trailed off, not finding the words to continue. Agent Romanoff picked up on her sudden change in mood and delicately moved the conversation along.

"So this lead to Ironman depositing you into the protection of Agent Barton. Did you see Loki again?" Darcy smiled slightly at the red headed woman, thankful for her swift change of subject. Darcy only then realised that she was shaking. She ran a nervous hand through her hair. Why was this affecting her so much? It was so strange, she didn't feel this panicked when she was falling to her death but now just the idea of it was making her ill...

"No, I didn't." Darcy whispered.

"Good." Fury spoke up, his voice cutting through the sadness Darcy felt and bringing her back to reality. "According to Agent Barton's report, you remained on the roof with him for approximately 10 minutes, would you agree with that?" She wondered why the time was so important. Honestly she had no idea how long she was there with him but just nodded along, hoping this debriefing was nearly over. "He said you managed to get hold of a Chitauri weapon and eliminated a few before you both ran out of ammo, is that true?"

Darcy assumed that the Chitauri he was speaking of were those alien things. Her eyes lit up at the memory of the gun. "Yeah, Robin-" she coughed, hoping it covered up her nickname. "Agent Barton," She tried again, voice a bit more serious than before. "Took out one of those aliens and I grabbed its gun. It took me a second to figure out how to use it but soon I took down one that was sneaking up on Agent Barton and a couple more of those freaks before it stopped working." Darcy concurred, trying to replay the events in her head. It was so fast, but she remembered enough to put together a rough timeline.

Agent Barton was now actively looking at everything else in the room except her. Darcy frowned at him, narrowing her eyes. They both knew what happened next and she sure as hell wasn't going to tell a room full of scary 'higher than government' officials that she threw herself at a stranger! She had a big mouth, but she wasn't stupid. Then again, she like how awkward he looked right now, like a child who just got caught doing something naughty and was anxiously awaiting punishment. She suppressed the urge to smile as she realised she held some kind of power over him and boy did she like watching him squirm!

"Agent Barton, how many would you estimate Miss Lewis 'took down'?" The Director asked, quoting Darcy's phrase in an irritated tone. Barton looked over at Fury, every set of eyes was on him and if he felt uncomfortable, he didn't show it.

"About 15, Sir, before they over powered us and blew up the roof." His voice was strong and straight to the point. Darcy's eyes widened.

"Fuck! They blew up the roof?" She covered her mouth with her hand. She had no idea they were close to being blown into pieces when they jumped. She assumed they were just overpowered... she didn't know why that made such a big difference to her but it did.

Barton looked over at her and quickly looked back at his boss, apart from that everyone else ignored her outburst and just continued.

"15, Miss Lewis. That is very impressive."

"Thanks. Me and my dad used to play laser tag a lot when I was a kid." She replied arrogantly, thinking that was a smart thing to say until she heard herself say it out loud. She couldn't help roll her eyes at her own foolishness.

"Right."

Maria ticked something on her notes that made Darcy crinkled her forehead up in confusion. What was she ticking? Did they seriously have a box on that form that said 'Experienced Laser Tag Player' or something?

"Then what happened?" Fury continued. Darcy stared at him, opened mouth, for a second. How was she going to answer that one? Which eye should she be looking at? That was stupid, he only had the one; she didn't have much option. She pursed her lips together, not knowing what to say. Her hand ran over her right thigh, over the bandaged wound that was hidden under her leggings and skirt. They managed to get the shard of glass out that had embedded itself in her leg yesterday, but they only had her on the weak drugs, so it was still painful to touch or move.

"We hit a window?" She said, although it sounded more like a question than an answer.

"A window? You don't sound too sure about that?" Fury commented.

Damn, she needed to do something. A blush was creeping up her face and suddenly the room felt a lot smaller and hotter.

"Well, I thought he was supposed to be some amazing marksman. There was an open one right next to it!" She relaxed back in her chair. Coulson laughed but tried to cover it with a cough, Darcy suddenly felt better. "I could have made a better shot than that."

"It is true, she has very good aim." Thor agreed, a wide smile on his face although Darcy knew he was thinking of the taser incident.

She held her hands out in front of her, as if she'd just proved her point and shrugged her shoulders. "He seemed a little bit distracted if you ask me." Darcy joked, hoping her comment was sly enough for everyone to overlook but enough to make Barton squirm some more in his chair. She did a mental fist pump when she noticed him straighten his back and shift his legs. She also noticed Agent Romanoff's quick glace between her and him. Fuck. Not sly enough, Darcy guessed. She decided to move on swiftly. "Then he tied me up and left me to die alone in an elevator shaft. The End." She clapped her hand together in front of her as if closing a story book and let them fall into her lap.

"So you had no contact with Agent Barton, or any other Agent before yesterday?" Darcy frowned. That came out of nowhere.

"Nope. Only Agent Coulson when he stole my iPod. Which, by the way, I still haven't gotten back." She answered, looking pointedly at the older gentleman in the nice suit.

"We shall have to amend that. Thank you for your time Miss Lewis." Fury said. She felt like this was the right moment to stand up and leave but no one else was moving so she paused, remaining seated in her chair.

"You're welcome?"

Agent Romanoff took that moment to stand up, Darcy followed suit but stood up a bit too eagerly and felt a pull on her upper leg. She winced in pain but hid it behind a smile. "Miss Lewis, I will escort you back to your room now. I'm sure I don't have to tell you not to mention anything we've discussed here to anyone?"

"Okay dokey." Darcy smiled at the other Agents as the red headed lady walked around the table and opened the door to leave. "Umm… bye?" Turning on the heels of her feet, she walked out the door suddenly felt like she was heading to a jail cell rather than a comfy room her and Jane were sharing while they were staying at S.H.I.E.L.D.

She heard the door close behind them and snuck a glance back, even though she knew she'd just see a shut door. "So…" She said, trying to sound casual but failing miserably.

"Miss Lewis, please feel free to explore anywhere above the 15th floor. You've had a very stressful couple of days so I suggest you try and relax. You're perfectly secure here, and there is an amazing sauna in the gym." Her voice sounded very calculated, like she had spent time planning every word she just said, and Darcy wasn't sure she like how she was referred to as 'secure'. Isn't that was they call prisoners? Still, she would love to spend 10 minutes in a calming sauna to unwind after such a fearful encounter with the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D and his crew. Hell, she might even get to see some super cut agents working out in the gym. The idea of sweaty muscular men was already starting to make her feel better.

"Call me Darcy."

Agent Romanoff tilted her head slightly at the shorted woman as they walked towards the elevator. She seemed to be analysing her and Darcy wasn't sure if she had said something inappropriate or not.

"Thank you Darcy. You can call me Natasha." Her tone was warmer and less calculating then before.

Darcy smiled. "Did I just make a new friend?" She teased and resisted the impulse to poke Natasha's closest arm. That probably wouldn't end well, then again, neither would teasing a super spy, but that didn't stop her.

Natasha smiled back and laughed slightly. It was only for a second but Darcy heard it. "You handled yourself surprising well back there, and yesterday in New York. It's hard to find women like that who still have a sense of humour." Darcy felt proud of herself, she had a super spy ninja as a friend, although she never would have guessed Agent Romanoff had a sense of humour.

They reached the elevator, and Darcy pushed the up button before turning to the taller woman. "So, when are you questioning Jane?" She asked, while counting the number of weapons Natasha had on her person. Darcy got to 7 before she answered, and those were only the ones on show, Darcy guessed she had way more hidden away somewhere.

"We're not." Natasha responded, her eyes noting what Darcy was doing.

"Why not? She was the only reason we came here." Darcy exclaimed, why did she have to go through that uncomfortable session with the Demon Head Master and Jane didn't? That was just unfair.

"Miss Foster is a smart woman, but she only acted out of love yesterday. You on the other hand, were motivated by various other things." The lift doors slid open silently, and Darcy moved to enter the elevator. Natasha remained where she was standing. "We just wanted to understand that a little better." She finished.

Darcy's mouth formed a little 'o' as she nodded and pressed the button labelled 3, where her room was. "Okay, I get that." Darcy considered what was just said again. "Actually, no, I don't get that at all." Confused by her re-examination.

Natasha smiled again and looked down at the younger woman. "Don't worry Darcy. You did fine. You'll fit in here quite well, I think."

"Thanks?" Darcy said quickly, more muddled than she was before the meeting.

Natasha had already turned around and was heading back down the corridor they just walked up. She turned her head as she walked and called over her shoulder just before the elevator doors shut her out of Darcy's view. "You're welcome."

Alone in the small compartment, Darcy shook her head, taking in a deep breath of air and then letting out a long sigh of relief. That was weird, scary and baffling all rolled into one. Darcy felt like she walked out of that meeting knowing less than when she went in. She decided not to think about it as she felt herself moving up towards her designated floor. She wondered if S.H.I.E.L.D had a beauty salon along with a gym? She really needed her nails sorting out; she swore she could still see Chitauri blood and building rubble under them.

Xxxxxx

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Thanks for reading, please let me know what you think as I really appreciate every review.

I hope you enjoyed it.

Charlie

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	4. Chapter 4

Breathe

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First of all, I cannot believe the overwhelming response I've had for this story! I just started writing it because I love Clint/Darcy as a couple and didn't think there were enough fics out there about them. And then... Wow! The amount of review/hits/alerts/favourites I've gotten are just amazing!

Big HUGE shout outs to Little Miss Michelle, Selene Illusinia, Lenetra, Mushroomking98, katididnot, alexceasar, Faith, Faith NightGrace and BAD HERO – Thank you all for the reviews, they make my day and I cannot express how much they mean to me. I publish this work because of all the lovely and constructive comments I get from you guys and I just hope my story continues to please you!

Dhauren – Thanks! This is only just getting started! Much more intrigue and even more pay off!

Mylove24 – I couldn't kill Coulson! I love him too much, he's definitely in my Top 5 people in Avengers. Loki will be making a few appearances but not until a later. I hope you enjoy the Darcy/Clint of this chapter and thank you for the review.

Booklover9477 – I do that all the time! I read a fic or am looking at some website and I burst out laughing. I definitely get some weird looks in public! I hope you like this chapter and thanks for the fun review, they always make me laugh!

Fragment Of A Fairy Soul – Thanks again for another lovely review, I hope my writing continues to please. I totally love Coulson! There was no way I was killing him, plus he might be handy to keep around ;-)

Agent Hatake - Sorry to disappoint but this is a very slow paced story to begin with, I wanted to build the believable S.H.I.E.L.D workplace and how Darcy fits into it. Plus, it never feels quite right when two characters juts hook up without laying any groundwork. Anyway, I hope you keep enjoying it and thank you for the review. I wasn't 100% sure the Wicked joke would work but I'm glad you liked it!

SleepySandy – I'm so happy you enjoyed the debrief, I often read fics where they gloss over them and it's a bit like "What? I want to know what happened!" I'm glad you liked the Coulson/Darcy snark, I actually love these two characters and wish they got more screen time. There was no way I was killing Coulson! Thanks for the amazing review, I cannot put into words how much I really appreciate everything you say!

Rebecca Taylor – Thanks again for the review! I hope you love this chapter as much as I loved writing it.

Xxxxxx

Again, a million thanks to my Beta, Sandra. She is amazing and helped me a lot on this chapter so I owe her so much!

I hope you all enjoy this chapter and I'll stop talking now!

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Chapter 4

Natasha walked back into the room, the door closing promptly behind her. She paused for a moment when everyone diverted their gazes to her from the other side of the room, everyone was a bit more relaxed now. Clint was even perched on the edge of the table, and Coulson had poured himself another cup of coffee while she was gone. She felt herself sigh, she knew what they were about to ask her, and she didn't know why it affected her so much. For some reason, Natasha felt something for Darcy. There was a spark she recognised in the younger woman and she couldn't help but feel a connection.

Natasha answered the silent question.

"I like her."

Fury and Maria looked shocked at her admission but she only raised her head a little higher, showing she wasn't worried about what they thought.

"I knew _you'd_ like her." Clint said, grinning in that cheeky way she hates, his eyes crinkling up in the corners.

"And how do you like her, Agent Barton?" She rolled her eyes and called back at him, trying to sound neutral but knowing a hint of amusement seeped through. She'd seen the way he had looked when they first brought up Miss Lewis in discussion yesterday, after they got dropped Loki of at HQ and went for food before their debriefing. He was genuinely flustered, not knowing which way to cross his arms and avoiding everyone's eye line when they interviewed him about what happened on that roof. Natasha also wanted to bring up that fact that when he returned to street level he had a smudge of lipstick on his lower lip, and there was a lingering scent of female perfume on his vest but thought she would keep that close to her chest, ready to play when she could use it the most to her advantage. Something happened on that roof, and she wasn't an idiot, Natasha actually found herself happy that Clint had a nice distraction.

"She's good, for a civilian." He finally replied.

"But that's just it, she's a civilian!" Maria Hill spoke up. Natasha liked Maria, she was a very 'by the book' person. She followed every rule, and the idea of even bending one was as reckless and unacceptable as breaking one. Natasha knew that unusual situations like this called for unusual measures, and Maria was not prepared to deal with that. "She has no training, no experience; she doesn't even know basic protocol for scenarios like this."

"There are no other scenarios like this, Agent Hill." Coulson said.

"And that makes this more acceptable? She got lucky. It's a miracle she's not dead!" Maria closed the folder she was writing notes in, as if to prove the conversation was over.

"I'd say it was more than a little luck." Fury said looking down at the folder in front of him; everyone in the room knew what he was looking at.

Natasha sighed.

"Are you kidding me? Just because he's her father," Maria said, pointing angrily at the open folder in the middle of them all, "Does not mean she is anything like him. She didn't even know who he was."

Natasha glared at the table surface. If she was honest with herself, this was why she felt such a strong connection to this girl. They were similar in so many ways. If it was written down, it would have been hard to tell the differences between their own childhoods.

"It did for me." She said quietly. It was loud enough for everyone to hear. She avoided all of their eyes, as she admitted something she rarely spoke about. "I didn't know who my father was and what he did until I was in too deep." Natasha looked up, placing her hands behind her back. She knew her words meant a lot in this moment, whatever she was about to say would likely sway the decision they came to, and Darcy's life would never be the same again. Was she really prepared to take that away from her? That young funny girl, who just wanted to finish her internship and get her degree when a God fell to Earth in front of her and changed everything, "I'm not saying it's the same for her, but we should at least try and see. We owe her a chance."

Thor was contemplating; he had been quiet the whole time and only now spoke up. "She is brave and deceptively strong. If what you told me is indeed correct, then she will have to be. Discovering your father raised you under a falsehood affects a person." It didn't take a genius to figure out who he was talking about.

"Director Fury?" Coulson asked, they had all had their say now. Fury knew what they all thought of the situation. He also knew what William Lewis would have said. Fury's frown deepened. If only she had stayed in Norway with Dr Foster. If only she kept her nose out from where it didn't belong, but he always knew it would come to something like this the second he heard that Miss Darcy Lewis was present and working on information regarding worm-holes when Thor and his hammer arrived in New Mexico. He was shocked to see her name on the list of people involved but knew it wouldn't be long before he had to deal with her and her history.

"Miss Lewis is emotional and impulsive, yet she is very observant and follows orders. She held her own against not one, but two Gods and walked away making jokes. If we don't handle this correctly or someone gets their hands on this information, then she will be in a lot of danger." Fury summarized then sighed out loud, not concerned about his colleagues seeing him struggle to make the right decision. "Hmmm... Agent Barton, Agent Romanoff?" He finally said. Both looked to him waiting for his instructions. "We'll wait for the moment. Let's see how she gets on in a S.H.I.E.L.D environment, which means, I want continued reports about her, her progression and anything she is involved in. Anyone so much as touches her, I want their name. Got it?"

"Yes, Sir." Both agents said, understanding their new orders.

"Thor, not a word of this leaves this room, got it?"

Thor perked up as his name was called. "What if Darcy is present in this room? Am I to inform her then?"

"No!" Fury barked at him. Coulson looked at the confused God and shook his head.

"It's a phrase. Don't talk about Darcy and her father to anyone except us five, and only when we are alone, okay?" Coulson explained.

"Ah, I see now. It is a secret." Thor exclaimed, laughing at his own misunderstanding; then gave Coulson an overly conspicuous wink that Thor thought was 'subtle'.

"Yes, good? Now, Agent Barton, I want you to initiate a trial for Miss Lewis, let's see how good her aim really is. Agent Hill, I want a deep background check on her, anyone she's ever worked with, people she dated, her school friends, hell, if someone ran over her cat as a kid I want them checked." Fury demanded. Maria was furiously scribbling notes again, Natasha could tell she was happy at the fact they were waiting before moving forward. "Agent Romanoff, I want you to befriend her. You know better than anyone what we are looking for." Natasha nodded but kept quiet. She liked Darcy. She looked over at Clint and saw a mirror of her own feelings. He didn't like this either. They would have to wait and speak about this later. "Good. This meeting is over, and you better hope this is all just us overreacting, I've got too much on my plate with The Avengers to deal with this shit right now."

Xxxxxx

* * *

This place was heaven! Darcy thought as she relaxed in the sauna. She had pulled her hair up into a messy pony tail and had a very old and tattered copy of her favourite romance novel in her hands, not caring that the pages were getting damp because she was more than happy to buy a new copy later anyway. It was one of those books she could read over and over again and still felt anticipation for the main characters although she knew exactly what was going to happen next.

She tossed water on the rocks in the middle using that weird wooden spoon sauna's always seemed to have and sat back on the hot wood, her body felt like it was melting beautifully in the wet heat. She laid her legs out in front of her and propped her elbows up so she could read. She had abandoned her glasses as it would have been pointless to wear them so she had to hold the book a bit closer to her face than usual, her eyes narrow in concentration.

She was too engrossed in the book, flipping through the pages and gripping onto each word that she didn't glance up when the glass door to the small room opened, a rush of cool air ran in but was lost in the high temperature almost immediately.

After a couple more minutes of reading, she decided she should get out. Spending too much time in a sauna was bad, and she needed to get showered and dressed before dinner. She closed her book, folding over the corner of the page so she knew where she was. Finding it a bit too soft, she made a mental note to pop the book on the radiator when she got back to her room. Darcy swung her legs around on the bench to stand up and came face to face with Black Widow.

Darcy held in a small noise of surprise and recovered quickly to smile brightly at the deadly assassin. "Sorry, I'll be out of your way in a sec." She apologised, moving at a more hurried pace than before.

"It's nothing to worry about. I should get out in a moment as well. The heat does horrendous things to my hair." Natasha said, her tone completely serious but a small smile on her full lips let Darcy know she was being playful. "Here."

Natasha passed Darcy her book which she had nearly forgotten in the awkward fumbling, it only made her more embarrassed to be around such an in control, kick-ass spy, and she was a twenty three year old dork. Darcy pursed her lips and thanked the older woman before opening the door to leave.

"Darcy?" Natasha asked before she stepped out of the door.

"Yep?"

"A couple of people and myself are going for some drinks tonight. To celebrate, kind of. Thor said he's going to come so Jane will most likely join us as well. You should come." It wasn't really an invitation, but Darcy was very happy to say yes. She really needed to chill with a glass of wine and maybe some shots.

"That would be amazing. Where would we go though, I thought we were like 100 miles from civilization?" Darcy questioned, she was suddenly very aware of all the hot air she was letting out of the sauna.

"There's a bar on Level 6 where a lot of us go to unwind, but we were thinking this should be a little more…" She paused, as if trying to find the right word. "Secret." She said with a smirk.

"Awesome. I think I'm pretty cut out for top secret now." Darcy teased.

"Just meet us on Level 6 at 9?" Natasha told her.

"Are we gonna be suiting up? 'Cause S.H.I.E.L.D hasn't issued my costume yet…" She joked, flashing the other woman a wide smile. It took a moment, but one corner of Natasha's mouth curled. Darcy did a mental fist pump and smirked back. She made The Black Widow smile! It was hard to see in the dim room but it definitely happened! Darcy didn't feel silly for making a joke for the first time today.

"I feel like my jumpsuit would be inappropriate, so just wear anything nice." Natasha teased back. Darcy had briefly seen her in all that Black Widow gear, and she was practically drooling, she dreaded to think what would happen if she went out in socially in it!

Darcy felt this was a good moment to leave as nearly all the hot air had escaped the small wooden room. "I'll see you then!" She called, the door slowly closing behind her as she headed towards the swimming pool and the gym. Darcy couldn't help but feel nervous and excited at the same time. 24 hours ago she was falling to her death and now she was going to a superhero party!

Suddenly she felt cold. Darcy reached the corner of the corridor which lead onto the gym and found herself having to support her body against it. She couldn't breathe properly, only managing lots of little short breaths in, and she was unable to exhale at all. Her hands were shaking, and she could see everything in front of her but couldn't recognise or focus on anything, like she was looking through a window or something.

She managed to turn and felt her back slam against the wall that she was previously holding. Darcy couldn't feel her legs but they were somehow holding her upright. She could only remember the air rushing past her ears, that feeling of weightlessness followed by a painful ache in her chest. She was falling from the top of that building all over again, and she was frightened.

She reached her hands up to cover her head and they touched dampness; she wasn't sure if it was from the sauna or the tears streaming down her face. She managed to suck a large loud gasp of air in, then out, her eyes firmly shut as she tried to stop herself from falling.

"Oh god!" She sobbed in between gasps when she felt something hold onto her tightly. She grabbed on, just like before with Ironman, but the fear didn't fade. It wasn't cool metal like she expected; it was soft warm skin, she held on tighter.

"Shh, you're okay." She heard a smooth voice say; whoever was holding her was now stroking her hair. "You're safe Darcy, just focus on my voice." She held onto the man's words and slowly her breathing calmed. "Focus on my voice and think about the circus, okay?" If Darcy wasn't having a mental break down, she would have found his advice odd but at that moment in time, it was actually helping. "Think about that big red tent and all those people sitting around."

She didn't need to imagine, she had a day at the circus etched in her brain. She tried to slow her breathing as she remembered the time she went to the travelling circus with her dad. She was 7 or 8, she couldn't remember, but he got her an ice cream and promised if she was good then they would see a tightrope walker. Darcy promised she would behave, and as soon as the show started, she was enthralled, watching the juggling, the aerial artists swinging and jumping backwards and forth, the man who ate fire and the lady who contorted herself. Darcy couldn't believe what she was seeing! She didn't look away from the centre of the stage all night, until a young man, he couldn't have been more than 10 years older than her, came on stage. He had short brown hair and was wearing a purple outfit with a mask. She looked up at her dad and smiled the biggest smile, this was the best day of her life, she didn't even notice that her ice cream had melted in her hand and now lay abandoned on the floor.

The young man was an 'Impalement Artist'. She didn't know what that meant, but her eyes went wide when she saw him chuck a sharp blade at an apple and it fall to the ground in two pieces from the other end of the large tent. She felt her dad stiffen next to her and held his hand, he was probably just scared he would miss and hit someone, she laughed, silly daddy, she thought to herself. The young man then went on to prove his accuracy by throwing 10 daggers, each hitting the centre of 10 targets. Everyone clapped. Darcy wondered if he ever missed!

As he reached for a bow and arrow, she gasped, they had just learnt about Robin Hood in school. She couldn't wait to see if he was a real life version of the rogue hero.

He lifted the bow and pointed it directly at a tiny dot at the top of the tent. Everyone looked up to see where he was aiming. Lots of people mumbled around her, she could hear the words 'impossible' and 'trick' being said, but she continued to look at the young Robin Hood. The only one watching him as his arms took aim, his green eyes examining the target before taking a breath in and releasing his fingers, letting the arrow fly up high. It hit the target and confetti rained down on the audience. Joy rain through her as she jumped up and started to grab at the colourful pieces of paper, it was like snow! She was laughing. It was the first time she'd laughed since her mother died…

Darcy was suddenly back outside the gym. Her arms clutching onto a man who couldn't have been more than 10 years older than her…

Her eyes darted back and forth, not knowing what she was looking at until she raised her head to look at him. His green eyes were so close to hers, his head was dipped low; his forehead was crinkled up with concern. Darcy could breathe again. She could feel her legs and slowly let go of the man's arms that were supporting her, they didn't move far away from her side but let her stand on her own none the less. She was nodding her head absentmindedly, and the world was feeling normal again. She knew she was okay now.

"Thank you." She said softly to Agent Barton, almost inaudibly. "I felt like I was falling again." She explained, searching his green eyes for some kind of understanding. It seemed meaningless now; she let out an awkward laugh as she brushed away any remaining tears from her face. "I'm sorry. Crazy, emotional Darcy!" She tried to dismiss her outburst as if it was nothing.

Barton didn't move; he just kept looking at her. He recognised what she was going through. "You need to get something to focus on. Something to bring you back, okay?" His eyes were scanning her face and his voice sounded like he had experience; he brushed a loose strand of her hair behind her ear and against her own will, she shivered at his touch.

Darcy understood. "Like the circus." She whispered. He looked older now, his years of being a spy weighing down on him.

"Yeah." He whispered back. Darcy suddenly realised how close they were still standing and stepped away from him, her back bumping against the wall. She looked the man in front of her up and down. He was wearing loose grey jogging pants and a tight black top that exposed all of his arms. He was covered in a slight sheen of sweat so she could safely guess he was in the gym before she had her panic attack. She looked around and was thankful no one else was there.

"Does it go away?" She couldn't stop how small she sounded.

"Yes." He answered simply. Darcy felt better already. Now she knew what to do when she lost it, she was hopefully it would never happen again.

"Wait, how did you know about the circus?" Her brain finally catching up with what just happened.

Then, like a light switch had been flicked, Agent Barton smirked. "Everybody's been to the circus, sweetheart." He turned and walked back into the gym as if nothing had just transpired between them.

Darcy frowned and gave an annoyed groan. That man is bipolar! One second he's a rude jackass, and then the next he's kind and warm only to be an arrogant jerk again. Looking around, Darcy walked back to her room, long forgetting about her book which had been spotted on the floor by a certain hawk like man and stolen.

Xxxxxx

* * *

Hey! Finally some Clint/Darcy alone time, although probably not what you were expecting…

I hope you all liked this chapter, I'm sorry if you feel it's all moving a bit slow but it picks up! I promise. I just want to lay some foundation before jumping into the full swing of things. I certainly don't want to rush this as I have so much I want to do!

Please review or subscribe, I live for those email notifications and they are a great reward, knowing people are enjoying your work. It's really one of the main reasons I do it.

Thanks for reading.

Charlie

Xxxxxx


	5. Chapter 5

Breathe

* * *

Xxxxxx

Once again. WOW! I am so amazed and thankful for all the feedback you guys are giving me! You're reviews are addictive!

Dhauren, little miss michelle, Mushroomking98, rebecca taylor, Lian, FleurSuoh, - thanks

Booklover9477, Faith NightGrace, katididnot, alexceasar, - Dad

Snowspell – You'll have to wait and see! I'm glad you picked up on the little hint. Thanks for reviewing!

Rahrahrae – I totally agree with everything you just said ;-)

Selene Illusinia – I don't think Darcy even knows what she saw all those years ago…

Mylove24 – Oh no! I wasn't wanting anyone to hate on Agent Hill. I just needed people from every viewpoint and Maria Hill hasn't spent any time and has zero connection to Darcy so she said what anyone else in her position would have said, hopefully she'll redeem herself later!

Imagination if freedom – Thank you! I'm really worried the pacing is too slow but I want this to all feel as real as possible, I hate it when I read a story and it's like Chapter 1 – They Meet. Chapter 2 – They're In Love!

TarynWulf – Thank you! I totally love you're profile pic as well ;-)

Tuuli – All I can say is wow! You seem to know my story better than I do, you even picked up on something I didn't want hinted at until later chapters! I won't tell you what but I think you're already figured it out. You're like the Hawkeye of fanfiction. I have the power and I am giving you that title! I'm so glad you like my story and you're feedback is incredible, I'm going to go back and fix all those mistakes as soon as I have time. And I cannot express how happy you made me when every time I got a review from you, your comments are constructive and your enthusiasm for my story has given me so much inspiration and happiness! You're pointing out certain scenes and sentences that show me they are getting the reaction I wanted from the reader. I'd love to Private Message you but you don't have an account, please PM me if you ever do because I'd love to thank you more! I really hope you enjoy this chapter and it doesn't disappoint as I'm dedicating it to you!

I'd like to thank Sandra again for being patient with me and tolerate my inability to use correct grammar! You are an amazing Beta and I cannot thank you enough.

I hope you all enjoy this chapter!

Xxxxxx

Disclaimer: Obviously none of the people I'm writing about belong to me, I just like to play with them!

This chapter is dedicated to Tulli. Your interest and encouragement came at the perfect time, helping me push through a brick wall and feeding me inspiration. Thank you.

* * *

Chapter 5

Darcy let out a frustrated groan as she let her body fall backwards onto her bed. She tilted her head to the side and stared at the wall of her S.H.I.E.L.D allocated bedroom. It was painted a light yellow and held a small picture of an orange sunset as some kind of compensation for the lack of window and natural light. Everything in the room was nice; Darcy considered the fact she had a flat screen TV, a desk for her laptop and a private bathroom as pure luxury, but it didn't stop it feeling any less impersonal. She felt like a guest at a stranger's house. Moving her head to the other side of the room, she saw her opened wardrobe.

All 3 of the outfits she managed to pack before leaving Norway were hanging up and some basic clothes that were given to her from S.H.I.E.L.D when she arrived were neatly folded on a shelf. It looked pathetically empty. She couldn't make anything match and look 'dressy' enough for a nice night out. She was tempted to ask Jane to see what she had but remembered her hastily throwing in random items like a candle, and Darcy could guess she wouldn't have much luck trying that either.

Darcy finally stood up and grabbed a pair of her favourite jeans; she stripped off her skirt and leggings and tugged on her jeans, wincing with pain as the rough denim put pressure on her injured leg. She unfolded a plain white low v-neck t-shirt that she was given and threw it on. She looked at herself in the mirror that was attached to the inside door of the cupboard and tilted her head to the side. It was a bit too low cut and made her look trashy, Darcy frowned; she always had this problem with low necked shirts and her graciously sized breasts. It's why she preferred geeky and retro shirts, as they always had high necks or jumpers and cardigans. She was curvy enough without having to emphasis anything.

She put her hands on her hips and tried to convince herself she looked fine, but failed. She decided to try the same top but in black, and although it was equally revealing, she knew she had a scarf that she could match with it. Giving a half smile she sat on her desk chair, pulled her makeup bag closer to her and began to apply small amounts to her face, covering little scratches from the battle where glass had cut her.

Darcy sighed as she put down her lip liner. She really needed to thank Hawkeye. She may have joked and moaned about him, and he may be an arrogant jerk half the time, but he had saved her life and helped her when she had her panic attack this afternoon. Like an egotistical 'Knight In Shining Kevlar Armour'. She knew it was probably just part of his job, but she owned him at least some form of appreciation. She'd have to buy him a drink or something, she decided.

She slipped on her favourite pair of black boots; they were holding up surprisingly well considering she was running around a semi destroyed New York City in them. She tucked her jeans in and zipped them up, then smoothed out any creases. Darcy grabbed her temporary S.H.I.E.L.D identification, some money, and her access card and put them in her pocket. Then wrapping her thin scarf around her neck, she was ready to go.

Opening her bedroom door, which leads straight into her and Jane's shared living room and kitchen space, she shielded her eyes almost instantly with her arms.

"Jesus!" She cried out, partly out of shock but also letting the two other people in the room aware of her.

Jane and Thor jumped up from the sofa, looking very flustered and embarrassed.

"Oh God, Darcy. I'm sorry." Jane said hurriedly, she quickly rushed over to Darcy and continued. "I didn't know you were here!" She hissed accusingly at her, quiet enough so Thor couldn't hear.

"Sorry, I've been getting ready for our evening out. Or did you forget?" Darcy asked, a wicked smirk on her face as she pointedly looked over Jane's shoulder to see the shirtless God of Thunder looking uncomfortable in his own skin. Thor was red with embarrassment and wouldn't meet Darcy's gaze, which only made her feel more self-satisfied. Who knew the Prince of Asgard would be so humiliated getting caught during a make out session? This. Was. Hilarious! Where was her phone when she needed a picture for Facebook? Oh, smashed to pieces in her bedroom, she begrudgingly reminded herself. That was probably for the best, considering S.H.I.E.L.D most likely had very strict rules about social media sites and secret superhero organizations, and Darcy had little self-control.

"Actually, I was helping Thor pick out a suitable shirt to wear." Jane explained, trying to remain composed, but Darcy wasn't being fooled by her lie, she'd been caught in the same situation before and knew every excuse in the book.

"I bet you were." Darcy said, followed with a wink and a shot Jane with two imaginary finger guns, making little firing noises as she did.

"It is true Lady Darcy, I was unsure about what apparel is suitable for this kind of event." Well, that was probably true but that certainly wasn't what they were doing when she walked in...

"Whatever," Darcy said, waving her had at the huge man; Jane had thrown a dark blue button up shirt in his direction, and he was now putting his arms through in each sleeve.

"Jane, do I look okay? I'm going for smart, strong and sexy but not slutty. You know, the three S's." She asked as she turned from side to side, letting the older woman analysis her clothes. Jane smiled sweetly, Darcy always felt they had an older/young sister kind of relationship, where Jane always looked down on Darcy lovingly and got annoyed by her weird personality, and Darcy would look up to her, willing to do anything for her, even if she didn't understand 90% of what Jane wanted and got it wrong most of the time. Darcy never had a sister but always imagined she'd want one like Jane, even if Jane didn't feel quite the same way.

"I like it. It's very stylish." Jane reassured her. Darcy took a moment to glance at what Jane was wearing. A pair of tight black jeans and a small white top. This quirked Darcy's interest as Jane never wore such sparse clothing, even when wondering around her own place. A quick look around the room proved Darcy's suspicion correct. She then walked over and picked up the offending ugly jumper off the floor.

"You are not wearing this!" Darcy told her. "It's a mess, and you look totally hot the way you are." Jane blushed at Darcy's unsubtle compliment.

"I'll get a jacket." Jane said, clearly not prepared to go as she was. She disappeared into her bedroom for a moment.

Darcy turned on her heels and nodded at him, giving a knowing smile at the lost looking man. "S'up?"

"Pardon?" His forehead crinkled in that way that reminded Darcy of a confused puppy.

"How are you?" Darcy tried again.

"I am well. Today is a good day. A day of peace." Darcy gave a tight grin, did he always have to talk like a superhero?

"Awesome." It was suddenly very awkward, and the room felt a lot smaller with just her and Thor in it. "So..."

"Loki is in a holding cell. I am to take him to Asgard as soon as Doctor Selvig and Jane have completed the device to harness the tesseract's energy to transport us there." Thor added. Darcy nodded, her tight smile pulling even further.

"That's good." She guessed, trying to look the appropriate amount of excited at the news. "Maybe we should stay off the topic of Loki when we join the others; it might put a downer on the mood." Darcy warned him.

A look of understanding dawned on his face; then he continued to speak. "I only speak of it now because he has asked to see you before we leave."

"What?" It felt like someone had punched her in the gut. She felt shocked, curious and scared at the same time. "Why?"

Thor shrugged, and Darcy couldn't help but think he didn't understand why this was so chilling to her. Loki was just his naughty kid brother but to her... he was the reason behind her nightmare. "He has asked to converse with everyone involved. He has not had a complete change of heart, but he is much more his usual self now that he is out of the tesseract's reach."

"He's blaming his actions because of the tesseract?" Darcy asked, as Jane walked back out her room with a light black jacket that Darcy remembered packing for her.

"Yes and no." Thor answered. Darcy wanted to talk about it more but felt now wasn't the right time, it was nearly 9, and they still had to get to the 6th floor. She pushed the feelings of dread back down inside her mind so she wouldn't spend the rest of the night mystified or worried by this turn of events. "Shall we get going Jane?" Thor asked, reaching a hand out to take Jane's. Darcy smiled at what an adorable couple they made and was happy it worked out for them.

"Yeah, this is much more fun than eating Smash! and watching Norwegian soap operas." Jane said, causing both girls to laugh at the memory.

"I don't know," Darcy joked. "That was good chocolate, and I really wanted to see if Malin ended up with Peder or Espen!" She threw her hand to her chest and gave a dramatic gasp, remembering the terrible acting in the foreign language TV show.

"You actually understood that?" Jane didn't know if she should be shocked or amazed.

Darcy laughed at Jane's surprised face, her eyes very comically wide and her jaw hung loose. It made her look more human and less like a genius scientist.

"Meh. It was easy to put that together after I figured out Nora pushed Magnus down the stairs, not Malin." She explained, as if saying 'Duh'.

"You are so strange!" Jane laughed and gave the younger girl a shove as she walked in front of the happy couple. She turned around and looked at them; they were the freakin' personification of a Disney couple! Thor was the Simba to Jane's Nala. No, wait! Something clicked in Darcy's head, and she couldn't help but laugh out loud. Thor was Tarzan to Jane's Jane! She couldn't wait to tell everyone! This was better than the time Darcy managed to get free Wi-Fi from her neighbours the first year of college.

"Says the girl dating the actual King of Gods!"

"I am not a King. I am a Prince." Thor piped up.

"My point exactly." Darcy said. Feeling triumph over her small triumph, she raised her arms above her head in a victory pose, turning around to face the way they were walking down the corridor. "Boom!"

"Stop it, Darce. You'll find your Prince one day." Jane said kindly. Darcy lowered her arms. She liked that Jane genuinely wanted Darcy to be happy and find a nice man. She never had such high hopes for herself, she didn't know why, but she always seemed to go for the wrong men, knowing that their relationships were doomed to fail before they even begun. Maybe it was a subconscious thing... But she didn't really care enough to find out.

"Yeah, I hear there's another Prince of Asgard asking for me." Darcy said with a wink. She couldn't help herself and knew it was a bit inappropriate but the reward of seeing Jane's jaw drop and Thor's eyes widen so much she thought they might actually fall out of his head was totally worth it.

It took a second for Jane to recover, but Thor was still in a shocked daze when Darcy finished laughing.

"I'm totally joking. He's not my type. Too tall. Too insane. I prefer men with a bit more muscle and a lot less evil laughing." Darcy said, picturing a certain pair of arms wrapped around her.

Xxxxxx

* * *

It wasn't long before they reached Level 6, and as soon as the elevator doors opened, Darcy was amazed with what was in front of them. She took a slow step out and looked around. It was like they were inside a small but perfectly proportioned shopping mall. She could see a grocery store, an entertainment store with movie posters in the windows and next to that was a small book shop. It had everything she could ever think of needing in her day to day life but just smaller versions.

Darcy smiled when she saw a box in the window of the grocery store. It was a small light blue box with a brown ribbon wrapped around it and an oversized bow placed on the top next to the word 'Mine'. She quickly darted into the shop and picked up a box from a shelf and went to pay, only to find there was no cashier.

"You scan your access card and anything you want by the door." A woman's voice informed her. Darcy turned and thanked the woman she didn't recognise. She was older than most of the Agents Darcy had seen walking around; she must be roughly around her mid-fifties. The woman just smiled and headed towards the door where she scanned her card and a tube of toothpaste. Darcy followed the woman and copied her actions, worried that her card might deny her purchase. It took a second to register her ID, but the screen lit up and thanked Darcy, wishing her a good evening. She walked out smiling, tucking her card back into her pocket.

"What'd you get?" Jane asked. Thor had now wrapped his arms around the tiny woman's waist, and Darcy beamed at them.

"It's a box of chocolates. It's so weird, my dad used to get me ones just like it when I was younger. I spend ages hunting for them but could never find them. How strange is that?" Darcy said, full of nostalgia and excitement. Darcy made a mental note to email her father tomorrow and tell him of her discovery.

"Wow. I've never seen them before. What flavour are they?" Jane asked. Thor rested his head gently on top of hers, and Darcy smiled at their adorableness.

"You can have one." Darcy offered. She began to undo the ribbon when she spotted Natasha and Agent Barton walking over. It was weird to seeing her in civilian clothes. Natasha had her hair tied up, but there was an elaborate braid going over the top of her head and was wearing a simple blue pair of jeans and a dark red tunic top, she looked stunning. Darcy smiled at the taller woman and turned to greet Barton when she noticed what he was wearing. A pair of faded dark grey tight but not skinny jeans that had strategically placed rips in the knees and a light grey t-shirt with blue flying monkeys printed on. He had a black leather jacket over the top that Darcy thought was a bit redundant as they were inside; she didn't dare admit the real reason she frowned at the jacket was because it covering his incredibly fit arms. Was it too much to ask to get a bit of arm porn for the evening?

"Hey!" Darcy called out to them, waving. Both swiftly came over to meet her, Jane and Thor. It was cool yet intimidating that they moved so gracefully. They walked purposefully even when not at work.

"Hello Darcy, Jane, Thor." Natasha greeted each of them. "We haven't formally met." She said to Jane, reaching her hand out to shake the shorter woman's. "I'm Natasha Romanoff, and this is Clint Barton." Barton reached out and shook Jane's hand as well, the both exchanged pleasantries.

"Clint?" Darcy rolled the name over her tongue. It felt odd.

"Yes?" Barton answered. Darcy's eyes widened at her mistake, she didn't mean to say his name out loud.

"Oh, sorry, you just didn't seem like a Clint." She tried to explain, feeling flustered. Clint only smiled and pushed his hands in his trouser pockets, obviously unsure of what to say to that, so he did the smart thing and kept silent. Darcy only wished she had done the same. "You just seemed more like a Jason or a James. I dunno." Darcy admitted. "Clint." She tested the name again.

"Yeah, my parents went with Clint."

"That was stupid of me. I'm sorry." She tried to lighten the air. "Chocolate?" Lifting the small blue box so it was in between them, she hoped it was a good peace offering.

Clint looked at the box then back at Darcy, as if trying to detect if this was a trick or not. "Sure. I'll have a swirly one." He finally answered.

Darcy smiled and began to open the box; she slowly lifted the lid and broke into a huge grin when she peeked inside. "This is amazing; just like I remembered…" She said mainly to herself, astounded that they were exactly the same as she remembered.

"I think we're being left behind, Miss Lewis." Clint said, ignoring her previous statement. He pointed forward, and Darcy could see Jane, Thor and Natasha heading further down the path, towards the bar, she assumed.

"Cool, we better catch up." Darcy sighed. She didn't want this evening to be more awkward than she would most likely make it; so she thought now was the perfect time to get things off her chest. "I just wanted to say thank you, Agent Barton. You saved my life, probably a few time actually, and I wanted you to know that I really appreciate it."

"All part of the job." He answered, a little too automatically for Darcy's liking. They began to slowly walk down the path that the others took. "Call me Clint."

"Here." Darcy offered the open box to him; he quickly located the 'swirly one' and popped it in his mouth. Score! Darcy thought, he couldn't interrupt her now with his mouth full. "I also wanted to say sorry about the whole kissing thing." His facial expression didn't change, still the blank stern look, but he did pause chewing for a second. Darcy didn't wait and kept talking. "It was a mistake. I thought we were gonna die. I do stupid things on a regular basis, so add in adrenaline and near dying, and I'm surprised I didn't jump you!" She rambled. He had started chewing again, this time more slowly than before, an amused expression on his face. Darcy wanted to smack her head against something. Why did she have to mention jumping him? Now he must think she's some kind of horny psycho! "Not that I'm going to jump you now! I mean you're hot and pretty cut, but you're not my-" She stumbled over her words. How was this going to make the evening less awkward again? She wondered. "But I'm not… I'm not some…"

"Miss Lewis, that was the sexiest and most intense kiss of my life. Don't apologize. I'm just sorry it took you thinking you were going to die for it to happen." Clint cut her off, his voice hurried and bitter. They had stopped walking, and Darcy had to bite back a whimper at how close he was to her without any part of their bodies actually touching. She could smell him. His cologne, after-shave, deodorant and something spicy making her mouth water, she swallowed hard. Slowly lifting her hooded eyes from his chest following a line up his neck and to his eye, she felt like they were back on that roof. How did he have such a strong effect on her? She'd never felt so wanton around a fit man before.

His words finally sunk in, and she suddenly felt bad. "I'm sorry. It's not you-" Darcy whispered.

"I don't want your gratitude and your apologies are not good enough." Clint cut her off with distain cutting her like a knife. He stepped away from her before she could think, setting off down the path.

Darcy stood in the middle of the footpath frozen for a second, her box of chocolates crushed against her chest. She knew saying something was a bad idea, but at least it confirmed her judgment of him. He was arrogant, rude and an insensitive jerk.

"Fucking asshole." She muttered under her breath.

Uncrossing her arms, she started to wander in the same direction everyone else went. She absentmindedly picked at the ribbon that came with her chocolates, trying to decide which one to eat but no longer feeling hungry. She heard someone call her name and looked up, applying a grin on her face as she went to join them in a little pub called 'The Wishing Will'. Darcy tilted her head at the quirky name, she always liked play on words.

Xxxxxx

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Hey!

Thank you for reading and I hope you all enjoy this and aren't disappointed with the direction I'm heading with this story!

Please, if you are enjoying this story, take a moment to review/subscribe/favourite. They mean so much to me.

Thanks again,

Charlie


	6. Chapter 6

Breathe

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Xxxxxx

Mylove24 – Thank you for the fastest review ever! I hope your phone is sorted out, I was a little confused at first lol.

Dhauren – I want them to get together sooner as well, but they are both so stubborn! Thanks for the reviews and I'm glad you're liking what I'm doing.

Selene Illusinia – Like any romance, there has to be some miscommunications before they can get together ;-)

Snowspell – Clint is just as confused as Darcy with his feelings, don't worry, he'll get over it, they'll be a Clint POV soon so we can get inside his head and see what's going on! Thanks for the lovely comments, and yes, I am British, born and raised in Buckinghamshire. I've tried to Americanize this story as much as possible with the help of my Beta, but please feel free to point out anything that seems 'British' so I can edit it. I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Zarra Rous – Glad you got my little Renner references… not that I'm obsessed or anything… Hope you enjoy this chapter and thank you for the review.

Kritters03 – Thank you for the review, enjoy the update!

1990chance – I happy to of made your day, I hope this chapter doesn't ruin it lol.

Mushroonking98 – Thank you! I think Darcy can handle Thor and Jane, she's a tough chick and knew she'd eventually walk in on them together.

hwrdtheduc – Preaching to the choir, arms are the best. The Avengers had a lot of arm porn. Whoever designed Hawkeyes uniform to be sleeveless was a god! I'm glad you're liking my story, I hope I don't disappoint with where it's going.

Booklover9477 – Don't worry, she'll see Loki soon enough!

Tuuli – Once again, you have blown my mind with your review. I'm so glad you noticed the blue monkey t-shirt Clint was wearing, it was a slight reference to Wicked and also there's a picture of Jeremy Renner in a photo-shoot wearing it and I thought it was perfect! You notice all my little hints and I am so thankful because sometimes I think no one will. Thor is really difficult to write, he's new to this world but he's over a thousand years old, it's hard to keep that level or wisdom and niavity all in one.

BAD HERO – Your prayers will be answered… in the next chapter… sorry!

PhoenixFyre – You'll have to wait and see!

Xxxxxx

This chapter is more of a filler chapter, it's a bit more light-hearted and there isn't really any Darcy/Clint interaction but it needs to be here.

The next chapter will have Clint POV for the first time! So I hope it won't be too wrong or disappoint.

Please review if you enjoy this chapter, or even if you don't. I really appreciate each and every one of them and try to respond. You are all so amazing for reading my story so thank you again.

Anyway, let's get on with the show!

Xxxxxx

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Chapter 6

This was the strangest moment of her life. She was sitting at a table surrounded by actual superheroes. As Darcy sat down at the table, everyone greeted her with a cheery disposition, and she took a second to memorize this moment exactly as it was. She knew she'd be telling her great grand kids about this shit so she wanted it to be perfect.

To her immediate right was Jane, who was sitting next to Thor on a small wooden bench that wasn't big enough for both of them. He had his arm around her waist and was tracing his fingertips on her hip, the slight sign of affection that was hidden from everyone else by the table, but Darcy smiled as she caught the movement when she sat down. Next to Thor was Captain America, although he had introduced himself to her as Steve, she couldn't help but smile at his adorableness. He called her Ma'am and everything! Next to him was Bruce Banner, who was keeping himself very contained, only giving Darcy a small smile as she said hello. Tony Freakin' Stark was next to Bruce, he had a pen in his hand, and she guessed it was him who had drawn the picture of some complicated machine on a napkin that sat on the table between him and Dr Banner.

Tony had his other hand wrapped around a red headed lady's shoulders, Darcy knew her as Pepper Potts from the news a few months ago. She became the new CEO of Stark Industries only to quit a week later when Tony broadcasted at a press conference that he wanted to spend more time with his girlfriend. Pepper was laughing at something Agent Coulson was telling her, his hand was held comically against his chest and Darcy noted how uncomfortable Thor looked at this story. Next to Agent Coulson was Agent Barton, his face had a deep frown etched on it; he certainly didn't look happy to be here like the rest of them. And lastly, next to him and to Darcy's left was Natasha, her expression was neutral, not giving away if she was content or annoyed to be there.

The ten of them certainly looked like a weird bunch, gathered around a large table in the back corner of the pub. Darcy glanced around and saw various other S.H.I.E.L.D agents in the bar, some had their phones out, trying to discreetly take photos, while some were looking at her and Jane strangely, as if trying to guess who they were and why they were so close with The Avengers. Darcy didn't like being talked about behind her back but tried to ignore it as she settled in around the table.

Phil had finished his story and was now pouring himself a glass of warm brown liquid from the various bottles that were in the center of the table. Darcy reached for a glass that was also nested in the middle with lots of bottles and glasses of various shapes and sizes. She took a second to figure out which bottle of wine she wanted but selected a Rosé that had tiny beads of condensation forming on the surface. It looked refreshing, and she certainly needed that after her little spat with Agent Barton. "What'd I miss?" Darcy asked, as she poured herself a large helping.

"Phil here was just telling us how he and Nick faked his death." Tony declared dramatically.

Darcy laughed and gave Phil a pointed look. "I knew you were dead!" She took a sip of wine and instantly felt less tense. Phil shrugged and gave Darcy a cheeky smile that made him look 10 years younger. "Who's Nick?" Darcy asked, looking at Tony, he seemed to be the go-to guy when you needed some information.

"Director Fury. Don't call him Nick, he hates it." Tony answered.

"No," Natasha interrupted. "He hates it when you call him Nick." Everyone laughed, and Darcy suddenly didn't care about the people staring daggers at her back.

"So Darcy, how's life with two feet on the ground?" Tony asked, giving her a quick wink.

Darcy nodded quickly, thinking about the circus as her pulse increased. "Less fun but it's a lot safer. Maybe I should get one of your suits, give flying another go." Darcy winked back. She was actually teasing Tony Freakin' Stark. Billionaire, genius, ex-playboy Tony Stark.

"Oh God, please let that never happen!" Jane groaned next to her.

Darcy acted shocked while trying to imagine the smell of vanilla ice cream and sweet popcorn that always reminded her of that day in the giant tent years ago. "What's that supposed to mean Jane? You've got your own thunder god to fly you whenever you want. The rest of us have to be a little more creative."

"I mean, you trying to fly an Ironman suit would be disastrous! You once broke a toaster because you tried to cook cheese on toast." Jane answered, a smile wide on her face as she recalled the memory. It was a funny day, well, after the smoke had cleared.

"Hey, that worked." Darcy looked over at Bruce, he was still hunched in the corner, and Darcy gave him a charming smile. "I put it on its side." It was only for a second, but she saw him grin.

Tony clicked his fingers and pointed at her. "That Miss Lewis, is a fantastic idea. The multi-position, multi-functioning toaster. Have you ever thought about joining Stark Industries as an inventor?" He asked, his voice half serious, half playful.

"The only good ideas I have come from stupid mistakes. Trust me, Mr Stark; you do not want me as your employee." Speaking of stupid mistakes… She dared a glance over at Clint. He was gripping his beer glass; it was the only sign in his relaxed demeanour that he was angry and uncomfortable about her being there.

"Well, I'm sending that idea to one of my people, and if it becomes a reality, then I think we can come up with a deal." Tony fiddled about for a second on what Darcy assumed was a phone, and then took a swig from his drink. Did that seriously just happen? Did he really just send her silly idea off to what Darcy assumed were some of the world's best inventors?

"I'll believe that when I see it. Former weapons engineer turning his attentions to toasters." Agent Coulson snorted. "What are those?" Darcy looked down at the table to see the offending object, her box of chocolates.

"Oh, I found these in the little grocery shop. I got them because my dad used to get them for me as a kid. I didn't even know they still existed." Darcy said, opening the lid and offering them out to everyone at the table. "Help yourselves. Oh, if you can't have nuts then avoid the ones with the little dots."

The box was passed around the table as everyone took a piece. Darcy chewed on a white chocolate truffle and was too busy watching Thor sniff his chocolate square to notice the strange glare that was being passed around by Clint, Phil and Natasha. Tony Stark did however, and when the box reached him, he quickly flipped it over, looking for something that would cause such concerned looks from three of S.H.I.E.L.D's top agents.

"So, I'm going to come out and say it." Bruce said rather suddenly. "Is anyone going to see him before… " He didn't need to say who 'him' was. "I just say it because of what happened last time. I think we need to be prepared and make sure he doesn't play us against each other." Darcy judged by everyone else's reactions that Bruce was right.

"I agree." Thor said, as he reached for another chocolate, from the box which he had somehow managed to get hold of again. Darcy rolled her eyes. It was like the diner in New Mexico all over again. How was Thor not fat yet?

"Me too. After all, there must be a reason he asked for all of us personally. He practically demanded that we let Pepper, Jane and Darcy see him. I didn't even know he was aware or cared who they were. No offence. Why only us? Why not Director Fury or Agent Hill? They are the top two in command." Phil said.

"I wouldn't spend much time thinking about it. He wants a reaction. Don't give him one." Natasha contributed, a small smirk on her lips. She was such a badass; Darcy admired the woman next to her. She hoped she didn't look too much like a stalker.

"I've seen him already." Clint said. Darcy was surprised at how angry he sounded. What did Loki do to him that caused so much pain? She wondered. "He didn't say anything. Only that I should thank him."

"Thank him?" Pepper asked, shocked at that concept.

"For giving me purpose." Clint spat out, downing the rest of his drink.

"That wasn't purpose, my friend." Thor objected from the other side of the table. "That was mind-control."

Darcy's eyes widened, was that what happened? Loki had somehow brainwashed Hawkeye? That must have been terrible; she completely understood his anger now.

"Oddly enough," Clint gave a dry laugh, "I don't think that's what he was talking about." Natasha stiffened beside Darcy, and she glanced over at the spy to see her looking straight at her. Darcy guessed she was just checking up on her, making sure this line of conversation wasn't freaking her out, which it totally was. This was nowhere near the normal bar conversation she was used to. Or maybe she just wanted Darcy to stop staring at her like a crazy fan-girl. Darcy averted her gazed to her drink.

"Well, I'm not seeing him." Natasha said.

"Here here." Tony said, raising his glass as if making a toast. "So to sum up, if we see him, be sure to tell each other what he said. Oh, it's just like high school all over again!" Tony declared, his joke falling flat because of the sensitive subject they were discussing. He was almost as good at inappropriate jokes as she was, Darcy mused. "Tough crowd." Pepper placed her hand on his and gave it a squeeze.

"Yeah, let's move on." Pepper suggested. "How is everyone settling into S.H.I.E.L.D headquarters?"

"It's weird." Darcy blurted out; glad they were on to a more normal topic that she could contribute to. "I don't know if this is an army base or a bizarre hotel."

"I know!" Pepper agreed, a little more enthusiastic then necessary. She was obviously thinking the same thing.

"It gets better." Phil informed them. "Although, we are looking into getting a separate HQ for The Avengers Initiative."

That would be so cool, Darcy thought. She hoped she could visit Jane when she obviously moved there with Thor. She took another sip of her Rosé and was suddenly hit with a wave of concern. Jane would probably start working with S.H.I.E.L.D soon, doing all her crazy smart research for them, and they certainly would want someone better than a once political science major, now turned university drop-out, that didn't actually know anything about the field she was 'interning' in. The reunion Jane had with Erik Selvig this morning only solidified her thoughts now. She was the lovable but useless assistant, and when they wanted to get serious about worm-holes and inter-galactic stuff like The Bio-Frost, then that's when they would want someone who understood all their gobbildy-goop. Not her. Darcy would be out of a job, she dropped out of University when S.H.I.E.L.D got involved and felt like she needed to stay with Jane to make sure she was taken care of. Now they could fire her at the drop of a hat! She wouldn't even have a home!

Darcy felt the familiar lump in her throat that seems to appear whenever she felt the overwhelming need to cry. She took a huge gulp of her wine, hoping that would stop the tears from spilling. It did, but she still excused herself to go to the restroom. She needed a minute to breathe; a near almost impossible task when she reminded herself that she was probably more than 100 feet underground.

She locked the cubicle door and sat on the closed lid of the toilet. She brushed her cardigan sleeve under her eyes and pulled it back. She was happy to see no wetness marked the fabric.

She was being silly, she had been fired before. She had loads of part-time jobs in college, and they all ended because of her inability to fit in; she should be used to this feeling now, shouldn't she? But she had never been as invested in those jobs like she was in this, she reminded herself. She felt like she was doing something for the greater good here, even if she was only plotting star graphs and making notes when Jane dictated things out to her.

She took a big sniff and put on the brightest smile she could muster. Flushing the toilet for good measure, Darcy opened the door and saw Natasha waiting for her on the other side. The gorgeous spy was leaning against the sink, one leg crossed in front of the other and arms pushed behind her on the counter's surface.

"Hiya!" Darcy beamed, her voice sounding more convincing than she thought it would.

"Hi." She stepped out of the way of the sink to let Darcy wash her hands. "They can be quite an intimidating bunch when they're all together like that." The older woman said.

Darcy looked up at Natasha's reflection in the mirror in front of her. "You got that right. It's pretty fun though; not many people can tweet that they're having drinks with The Avengers at S.H.I.E.L.D's secret underground base." Darcy said. She knew it was an unsuitable thing to say, implying she put her whereabouts on a social networking site. "Just kidding." She smiled sheepishly at the mirror.

There was a moment of silence before Natasha spoke, and Darcy felt that impending doom, like she was about to be told some bad news. She grabbed a towel and wiped her hands. Might as well have dry hands when she gets reprimanded or whatever, Darcy tried to tell herself nonchalantly, but her stomach was in knots.

"Clint told me about your panic attack earlier. I wanted to make sure you were okay."

Oh. Not what she was expecting.

"He did?" Darcy put the towel down on the side of the sink and turned around.

"He was worried about you. What happened yesterday will affect all of us for the rest of our lives. It's not possible to forget what Loki did to all of us. It's not every day that a normal girl fights an alien race and gets to walk away to tell the tale." Natasha placed a comforting hand on Darcy's shoulder. God, did all that happen only yesterday? It felt like months ago, so much had happened since then that it nearly made her head spin.

Darcy was surprised at how calm she was staying; she thought that someone talking about it or her thinking about it would bring on another attack, but she felt fine, or maybe it was because she could hear faint circus music in the back of her mind that was keeping her grounded. "He was worried?" Darcy asked, her face screwing up in confusion.

"He's a great guy. The best. He knows you're new to this, and you don't have anyone like how Jane has Thor. He just doesn't want you to feel alone. And neither do I." Natasha said. Darcy wondered why she was being so nice to her. Probably because she didn't want her to freak out and do something stupid, like run away or blab her mouth off on Facebook or taser random people in the hallways. It was kind of nice to know that people cared; although, she knew there was a bigger agenda to it all.

"He may not be as worried about me anymore." Darcy said, feeling guilty for the way she misjudged him earlier, maybe he really did care about her. Her words earlier must have seemed a lot worse than she meant them to be. "God, I said something stupid." She admitted, putting her head in her hands. She was so wrong about Clint.

"We all make mistakes." The super spy told her. "It's how we fix them that count."

"But you only get one chance to make a good impression." Darcy muttered.

"I think you made a pretty good first impression." Natasha's usual controlled and steady voice teased. Darcy's head shot up, and she looked questioningly at the red head. Trying to pry the meaning behind her words from her, it was easy to tell that Natasha knew something, the smirk on her mouth and glint in her eye pretty much screamed 'I know a secret', but was it what Darcy thought it could be?

Natasha continued to stare down the younger woman. Darcy continued to stare up at her in return.

"Oh my God, you know?" Shocked at the prospect, Darcy finally asked.

"Of course I know. It's my job to know." Natasha retorted. A blush flooded Darcy's face and she put her head in her hands again.

"How?" She asked, her words muffled through her fingers.

"He had lipstick on his mouth after he left you in the fight. He couldn't look at you the whole time in the meeting this afternoon, and he was walking with a skip in his step until about half an hour ago." Natasha explained, which only made Darcy feel guiltier at the way she insulted him. "What happened?"

"I was trying to thank him for saving my life, I ended up offending him and saying the kiss was a mistake." Darcy shook her head. "I don't even know how I ended up digging myself into that."

"Was it?" Natasha quirked an eyebrow up. "The kiss. Was it a mistake or not?"

"Yes, no. I don't know." Darcy confessed. "It was great. I mean, really great. Epic even. But I don't know anymore. How do I even fix this? I'm totally at a loss when it comes to talking without saying something rash."

"I think you just need to sort your feelings out first." Natasha gave Darcy a light pat on the shoulder that seemed a little too robotic to be natural. "You've had a rough day and boys are stupid."

Darcy gave a weak smile. "Will he even want to talk after all this?"

"Don't worry," Natasha answered back, a mischievous gleam in her eye that told Darcy she probably didn't want to know what the other woman was thinking. "I've got you covered."

They walked out of the restroom a second later to find the rest of the group around the table, shot glasses in front of everyone except Bruce, who had a pint of water. They were playing a drinking game that Thor called 'naefre', which Darcy soon learned was just a fancy Asgardian name for 'I have never'.

Xxxxxx

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It was very quick to tell that culturally, the game 'I have never' doesn't work when one person is from another realm, one had been frozen alive for 70 years and three were top secret agents that couldn't admit to doing any of these things even if they wanted to.

Darcy, Tony, Pepper, Jane and Bruce were doing okay in the game, which in turn, meant they were the tipsiest. Well, except Bruce, who was just drinking water and Natasha, who seemed to be impervious to vodka. Maybe it was because she was Russian, didn't they drink this stuff with their breakfast? Darcy giggled at the thought of Black Widow pouring the clear liquid over her Fruit Loops. No, that wasn't right; Natasha struck Darcy as more of a Lucky Charms kind of girl.

"I have never," Pepper said, her words slightly slurred as she gave Tony a quick kiss on the cheek. A smug grin appeared on his face at the display of love. "Braided my hair!" All the girls drank, including Natasha as it was an impossible thing to deny, but everyone busted out laughing when Thor slammed a now empty shot glass on the table.

"I found it useful when engaging in combat; my hair can often become cumbersome in fights." Thor explained. This only made everyone laugh harder at the absurdity of Thor with his hair in pigtails.

"My turn!" Phil announced, as he quickly filled up the empty shot glasses on the table. They were going counter clockwise around the table. "I have never stolen Director Fury's eye patch."

There was an audible groan as Phil tossed back his shot and Natasha and Clint hesitantly followed.

"No way? How? When?" Tony asked. Darcy was stuck with how much Tony looked like a kid at Christmas, who was being told he was going to Disney or he was getting a puppy. She smiled at his immature behavior and shook her head lightly. How was she, Darcy, Queen of Putting Her Foot in Her Mouth, more adult than someone else at this table? She laughed quietly and saw Steve sitting rather bashfully on his stool, looking at his relatively untouched shot glass uncomfortably. He was such a boy scout, Darcy thought to herself. The idea of disrespecting a superior like that must have been unthinkable to him.

"It's an initiation of sorts." Clint begrudgingly explained.

"Please tell me you have photos!" Tony practically begged, his hands even coming together as if praying.

"Sorry. Agents only." Clint said simply. Tony shut up, but Darcy had a feeling he wasn't going to let it go that easily.

Clint grabbed the bottle of vodka from Phil's side and topped up the three agents glasses, sending Phil a glare in the process. "I have never." Clint said slowly. Darcy suddenly felt her stomach clench; she forced down a small gulp, unsure if it was because of the vodka or the way his voice sounded in her brain. "Been arrested."

Darcy did not expect that. She felt a rush of relief at what he could have said, but it was short lived as she brought her glass up and swallowed the burning fluid. She placed her empty glass on the table and looked around at everyone. No one else's glass was empty. That bastard! She rolled her eyes at the inevitable reaction she was about to get.

"Darcy!" Jane exclaimed, obviously the personification of purity and goodness would never have done anything illegal.

"What?" Darcy asked, throwing her hands up and acting innocent. "It was nothing!"

"I bet it was kinky. You seem kinky." Tony chipped in, earning him a glare from every woman at the table.

"No, it wasn't. And anyways, how am I the only one who's been arrested? You guys are freakin' spies! Isn't it in your job description to go to jail as part of a mission or something?" Darcy asked, surprised that her perception of spies was wrong.

"No, no, we're good at our jobs." Clint joked. Darcy felt herself blush. "Only the shit Agents get caught. Then we have to bail them out..." His voice drifted off as if speaking from memory. "It's a lot of paper work if that happens." Darcy was happy that he was being more talkative than before, she might not have pissed him off that much, as he seemed to have kind of forgiven her now, or at least wasn't ignoring her publicly. Darcy silently thanked alcohol for being such an effective social lubricant.

"That's fair," Darcy admitted, shrugging her shoulders. "But what's your excuse Mr Stark. Billionaire Playboy, I've seen you on the news, sitting in a giant donut." Having a mental break down, Darcy added internally, her brain to mouth filter obviously still working effectively even when currently tipsy. "How have you never been arrested?"

"Billionaire playboy. I have people that sort those kinds of things out for me." Darcy gawked at the older man sitting opposite her in disbelief at his words and how casually he flaunted his power and wealth. Pepper must have been shocked as well, because she whacked him lightly in the chest.

"Tony!"

"Stop distracting us!" Jane told her. "Why were you arrested?"

Darcy sighed. "I was caught trespassing. It was stupid, I was young. The court sealed the record when I turned 18, but I'm sure that wouldn't stop S.H.I.E.L.D from finding out." She glared at Clint. It was obvious to her that he already knew the details of her criminal record, hence bringing it up.

"Why?" He asked, his voice soft and calm in the loud pub. It felt as if they were the only two in the room when she answered.

"I wanted to relive a memory; it was my old house. After my mother died, we moved away, and I just wanted to go back. The new owners were out, so I just hung around." She tried to sound casual, like it was no big deal. "I checked out my old room and all that." Darcy retold the story, everyone around the table was hanging onto her every word. This is intense, she thought to herself. She shrugged, trying to lighten the mood. "They came home eventually. I… I tried to sneak out, but it was too late; they found me and called the police. That's it." Darcy looked around; Jane was looking at her with those big cow eyes that made Darcy annoyed. She didn't need her sympathy. This happened years ago, she was over it. "Natasha, it's your turn." Darcy said, trying to change the subject.

Natasha caught on and filled Darcy's glass. "I have never." She started, a smirk on her face as she continued. "Been in handcuffs." She said with a wink at Darcy. It was a light hearted way to move on as Darcy and nearly everyone else at the table downed their drink except Steve and Thor. Darcy quirked an eyebrow at Bruce as he sheepishly drank some of his water, hoping no one would notice.

"I do not understand, Lady Darcy has been arrested, but why have all of you been in handcuffs?" Everyone laughed, including Steve, as Thor asked, confused by the concept of implication and foreplay.

"Maybe Jane will show you sometime!" Tony said, earning another slap from Pepper.

Xxxxxx

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Thanks, I hope you enjoyed reading.

Charlie


	7. Chapter 7

Breathe

Xxxxxx

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Wow… 23 reviews for that last chapter! I am stunned and amazed! That is the most I've ever received for a story before! Thank you all so much for your constant love and support, I know I go on a bit in the Authors notes but I truly want you all to know how much I love and appreciate you all and your lovely comments!

Casey21791 – Hope this doesn't disappoint ;-)

Patpat – May I be the first person to welcome you to the wonderful world of Darcy/Clint, I, like you, started off reading Loki/Darcy but after watching The Avengers movie, this pair wouldn't leave me alone and now I'm addicted! I also like Darcy/Bruce but there's not much out there for them yet. Thanks for the review and I hope this update doesn't ruin your interest!

TuuliSenka – Can I marry you? Your reviews are truly epic, I love reading them so much and can't express how much joy I get when I see your name in my inbox! Where can I start? You reminded me that I have never mentioned what Darcy smells like, I'll have to remedy that! Sorry to disappoint but Darcy isn't a 'sleeper agent' or had been brain washed or anything like that, although that is a great idea and would give Natasha and Clint another reason to take her under their wings, but the red tent is a little bit more innocent than that.

Sometimes I think Darcy still doesn't quite understand what's happening around her, I mean it's been less than two days so far and a lot has happened, it might take a while for her to categorize her thoughts, then again, maybe she's just really good at going with the flow and accepting life and all it's crazy adventures?

I love relaxed/chilling Phil, I think after his death bringing the team together, than he would be accepted into the group, Pepper already has an established relationship with him (which I loved in The Avengers movie!) so it was easy to fit him into the scene.

Natasha totally played Loki! I loved that moment in the film, I actually laughed out loud when she turned the tables on him, I'm hoping a bit of that bad-ass-ness will rub off into my story! I have such a girl-crush on her and think Darcy would as well.

I'm from England so I don't really know much about American cereals either, I hoped the comparison worked, then again, I can always blame Darcy being tipsy and any kind of cereal is a lot more hard-core when you pour vodka over it!

It's standard procedure to seal records in England once you turn 18 so I hoped that applies there as well. I don't think Clint knew the exact extent of Darcy's criminal record and just saw an opportunity to ask a question he was dying to know the answer to.

I totally LOVE Memos From Fury! I check the blog daily to see if anymore are posted! I'm so glad someone compared the bar scene to them as that's the kind of vibe I want the team to have.

Anyway, this A/N is getting really long so should probably stop. Thank you again for an amazing review, I find myself not wanting to disappoint you! I hope you enjoy this chapter and it answers a few of your questions. Thanks again.

Mylove24 – I hope Clint's POV isn't too wrong! I'm sure Darcy will find a way to make it up to him ;-)

TarynWulf – Tell me about it, that uniform makes me drool every time I see him in it, I have a feeling Darcy feels the same. I'm glad you liked the drinking game scene, I always worry with filler chapters that everyone will hate them!

Selene Illusinia – You speak words of wisdom and experience! Your review made me laugh, I should have thought about the blackmail aspect when writing it!

Snowspell – Thank you! I love the game as well, I thought it would be a good team building exercise ;-) I always knew Natasha would take to Darcy but I'm so glad people are enjoying it!

1990chance – I'm glad I didn't ruin the story for you! Hope this chapter doesn't either.

Booklover9477 – Thanks for you lovely comments, I'm glad you like reading my story, this starts off in Clint's POV but I hope it doesn't disappoint you, Darcy will make an appearance for some good Clint/Darcy romance later on!

Dhauren – I'm sure Clint will get over it, he's a big boy after all, nothing a little ego stroking can't fix! I'm tempted to write a one-shot about Thor and Jane and a pair of handcuffs but I'm not sure I can do it any justice! Lol. Thanks for another funny and lovely review!

Lenetra – Tony can't help but stick his nose in places it doesn't belong! Let's hope he doesn't go around messing things up for Darcy and Clint! Your picture of Clint throwing Darcy over his shoulder and carrying her to bed made me squeal out loud! It also gave me an idea for a later chapter ;-) Hopefully this chapter will answer some of your questions!

No time like the present, Winy, mmendoza688. Zarra Rous, anon, Rebecca taylor, little miss michelle, Cat, Pegasus63, knitters03, BAD HERO and Mushroomking98 – Thank you all again for your kind and brilliant reviews! They are all so sweet and I love and appreciate reading every single one! They are like my own private drug and I can't wait to get my next fix! Hopefully this chapter doesn't disappoint, it's my first time doing Clint POV so I hope I do him justice!

My last shout out goes to the amazingly wonderful Sandra, who does so much to make my story readable! Beta's often don't get the credit they deserve but this story really is a joint effort and I can't thank her enough for the time she spends reading and re-reading each chapter! If I'm ever in the Florida area then I am buying you dinner and taking you to Disneyworld!

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: None of the characters I'm writing about belong to me, I just like to play with them! Except Alex. He's mine…

Xxxxxx

* * *

Chapter 7

Clint was on a mission to relieve some stress. His last trip to the gym didn't go as planned; so he was now heading to a studio on the far side of the gym for some desperately needed one on one combat with Natasha. That never failed to distract him from whatever was usually on his mind, and it was certainly a way to keep him on his toes in case any more alien Gods tried to attack them.

The gym was eerily quiet, his boots making loud thumps as he walked across the room. He looked around quickly, noting a couple broken punching bags in the corner before placing his gym bag down by the edge of the mat in the centre of the room. Steve had probably been down here recently, Clint mused as he saw a small pile of sand swept to one side.

He sighed as he started to stretch out his shoulders. He was feeling a bit sluggish today, the after effects of drinking a bit too much last night, and the frustration from an insufferable yet addictive woman caused a dull thud in his head. Last night had not gone at all like he planned. He had thought it all out in the shower after the gym yesterday, working out exactly what he was going to do and say, down to what he would wear. Pathetic, he told himself as his mind replayed the original strategy he had intended and botched. He was going to split her away from the group and talk to her, ask her how she was fitting in, tell her that he was there for her if she ever felt lonely or panicked again. Then he was going to return the book that he sneakily stole from her, claiming she dropped it earlier. He had quickly wikipedia'd the novel that afternoon so knew roughly what it was about, he was going to ask her a few vague questions about the plot and characters then invite her for coffee to talk about it in more detail, or dinner, depending if the conversation was flowing well or not. What he didn't plan was Darcy telling him that their brief but intense meeting was a fluke, and she would only kiss him again if in the next second she was going to be killed. It certainly didn't do much for his self-esteem. Still, he knew he had overreacted and stormed off like a stroppy teenager, which didn't help matters either. As soon as he entered the bar, on his own, Natasha glared at him, and he knew he was being overdramatic, the old book in his back pocket was burning and heavy with guilt. When Darcy arrived a few minutes later, he had calmed down enough with a drink and spent the rest of the night watching her with blatant desire. He was surprised no one said anything; still, they didn't call him Hawkeye for nothing.

God, he felt like a school boy with a crush for the first time. It was stupid and emotional. He couldn't afford to be compromised in such a way by this fascinating and fun girl. He wouldn't pursue Darcy any further. She was right; it was just the heat of the battle, and as passionate and amazingly perfect that kiss had been, it was just a kiss. There was no emotion behind it and that's how he should view their relationship from now on. No emotion. Strictly professional. Still, he couldn't get the memory of her body pushed up against his as they fought off the Chitauri. They had only just met, and they were working so flawlessly together, side by side, taking out alien scum. It was too clean and precise to be a fluke.

Fuck, this was William Lewis' daughter! Clint tried to scold himself. He wouldn't last a day if William ever found out he had kissed his little girl. Clint reminded himself that Darcy was not a little girl but a beautiful and sensual woman, whom he found highly attractive. Her lips alone were enough to make his pants a little tighter. And those curves! They were unreal.

Suddenly Clint found himself on the floor, his back slamming onto the cushioned mattress, breath leaving his lungs instantly.

"невнимательный?" Natasha asked, her Russian accent heavy and her face the picture of smugness.

"нет." Clint lied. He didn't know much Russian but working with Agent Romanoff for the past 6 years had taught him enough, especially when she was accusing him of incompetence.

"лгун!" Natasha laughed, letting loose her hold on Agent Barton's legs. She backed off for a second, letting him have a moment to get into a fighting stance. "You have fun last night?"

Clint snorted at her question. "Not as much fun as you." He was right; Natasha had really let her hair down last night. By the end of the evening, she openly laughed with the group and even danced when the bar played a song the girls loved. Natasha wasn't as drunk and free as the other woman, but she was willing to drop her guard around the team, which spoke volumes. Clint's mind flickered back to the memory when the woman all got up to sing and dance along with a cheesy pop song, bewitching several men in the bar, him included. Clint enjoyed watching Darcy move with graceful and relaxed movements. He also noted that Bruce had a very similar interest but for his red headed best friend.

He smirked as he moved forward and grabbed Black Widows elbow, twisting it up and in, towards her chest. Natasha followed the movement turning into it and spinning around, swinging her free arm up to wrap around Hawkeye's neck and pushing her hips back into his and flipping him over her back. He landed on the floor with a satisfactory thud.

"I like this team. It is strange working with so many people, but I'm already starting to get used to it." She admitted, her foot now propped on Clint's chest after he released a groan.

He pushed his legs around and knocked her off balance, snagging her wrist in his hand so she couldn't catch her fall. She let out a small yelp and fell in a heap next to him. "Even Tony?" Clint asked, knowing her and Ironman's history of infuriating each other.

"Well, maybe not him so much." They let out a laugh as they both rolled forward and stood up, ready for another round. Natasha threw a left-handed punch that just missed Clint's jaw as he ducked.

"Dr Banner likes you."

"He likes everyone." Natasha said a little bit too quickly.

"He likes you the most." Clint rephrased, swinging his right, then left arm to block her next attack.

"How would you know?" She asked, taking a gasp of air, trying to sound offhand.

"Saw him staring at you last night." This time he ducked from a round-house kick and delivered one of his own to her side.

"Lots of people were staring at each other last night." His heart rate was increasing, and he knew it was only partly because of the combat.

"You're mistaken." Liar! He scolded himself at his lack of a better response. Clint knew he was being subtle last night with his glances, but he had a very hard time hiding things, including his emotions, from Natasha.

"She likes you too." Natasha paused from hitting Clint with her raised backhand.

"You just want her to like me." Clint knocked the offending arm away, with a little too much force behind the action and his words.

Natasha tilted her head to one side, shrugging. "True." She jumped up to avoid contact with Clint's sweeping kick. "You just want Bruce to like me." She countered.

"True." Clint said. Natasha did a handstand and wrapped her legs around Clint's neck while swinging her body back, sending them both to the ground in a messy pile of bruised limbs and pained groans. "You deserve someone good." He told the shorter woman in between heavy pants. "He's a good guy."

"It's not him I'm worried about." Natasha muttered bitterly. Clint wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her into a hug on the soft floor. "You didn't see him on the helicarrier. I was so scared." Clint felt her shaking; he knew it wasn't from the workout.

He stroked her hair. Natasha rarely admitted to things like this and spoke about men even less. The last time she had been this open with him was after the hospital fire; he felt himself wince at the memory. "I know. I know." He didn't know what else to say. He's seen Hulk in action; he's read the reports and viewed the footage from the helicarrier fights. "It's a scary thing." He whispered back at her.

"He has control." She reasoned, he could tell she didn't fully believe the words as she spoke them.

"No, not Hulk." Natasha propped her head up on his chest, looking into his eyes, her eye brows coming together in wonder.

"Then what?"

Clint sighed, his mouth pursing into a frown before he spoke. "Losing your control, opening yourself up to someone is a dangerous thing for people like us."

"I like being in control." She confessed. "It's not worth it."

Clint let his head fall back onto the mat and gave a massive exhale. "You're telling me."

There was a very long pause as they both recovered from the physical and emotional work out they just had. "I think Darcy's worth it." Natasha finally spoke.

"Fuck, Tasha. Give up already, she's not interested in me like that." He was getting angry at her trying to force Darcy onto him. She wasn't interested and that's that.

"Well, you've got skills training with her all afternoon. If she doesn't love you by the end of it, then I'll have psych do an evaluation." Natasha joked, knowing she had put too much pressure on him and trying to reel the conversation back to more friendly terms.

They slowly stood up and straightened out their clothes. "Good thing Bruce didn't walk in." He referred to their previous embrace, they had always been close, like best friends; they found comfort in each other's arms. It's one of the only times when they were truly alone together where they could speak of their current worries or fears. It had been so long since they last had the opportunity to do this. "I'm not sure I'd like to be on the receiving end of The Other Guy just yet." Clint teased, his voice changing pitch as he finished talking.

"Shut up before I make you." She threatened, pointing her index finger into Clint's arm.

"You don't intimidate me like you do the other agents. Come to think of it, you haven't made any new recruits cry lately. I think you're going soft." Clint nudged Natasha as they walked over to the other side of the room where the punching bags were kept.

"Fuck you Barton. I'm not the one making out with civilians in the middle of an intergalactic war."

"What did you just say?" Clint and Natasha's heads shot around to face the new voice in the gym.

Clint's heart stopped, and he was sure his eyes were comically huge as he stood up a little straighter and met Agent Coulson's very angry glare.

Xxxxxx

* * *

Darcy was currently being escorted to the 'Skills Lab' which made her think of a chemistry laboratory in high school and not a weapons training area. She was excited and nervous all at once, she knew Jane was having basic training next week after all her science equipment was set up, and she had briefed the S.H.I.E.L.D staff what she was planning to do research wise. Darcy couldn't wait to tell her about her day of training. She also couldn't wait to play with some guns again; she kept very quiet about that though, not wanting to flash any red warning flags that she was secretly a gun nut, which she wasn't. She just loved the idea of firing a gun or welding a sword. It felt empowering. And hot. Darcy had seen enough Underworld and Tomb Raider movies to know, woman with guns are fucking sexy.

The unknown agent that knocked on her door ten minutes before had taken one look at her jeans and baggy knit jumper and told her to change into the S.H.I.E.L.D clothes that had been provided to her on the first day. A few moments later Darcy came back out of her room wearing the white t-shirt that she still felt showed too much of her boobs and a pair of navy jogging bottoms with the eagle logo thing on the thigh.

Now she and the agent man were riding in the elevator to a high numbered floor, although they were essentially going deeper underground. She let out a long exhale of air and turned to look up at the stern faced man. He couldn't have been much older than her; she wondered how he got into this job.

"What's your thing?" Darcy wondered aloud.

"Pardon?" He sounded confused and Darcy realised her question wasn't exactly clear.

"Everyone has a thing here. Agent Romanoff is a kick ass fighter and undercover girl, Agent Barton can beat Legolas at darts if he wanted. Agent Coulson…" Darcy paused. "Actually I don't know what Coulson's thing is." She pondered that for a second.

"Agent Coulson is a recruiter of sorts. He's like one of the original agents." The young man explained, his tone full of awe, making him sound younger.

"Original agents?" Darcy's interest perked up.

"There were six to begin with. It was the early 90's when the government decided to branch out into the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division; they had top men from certain areas the government and military come together and form the first team. Fury was the Director, someone else was the second in command and Coulson plus four others were the original agents." Darcy considered this for a while. It was strange to think that the U.S had this organization already in place since the 90's! She imagined what Fury would have looked like back then and laughed at the image of him with an afro and Coulson with floppy hair like Dawson from Dawson's Creek and sideburns. Darcy let out a small snigger which earned her a glare from the agent.

"I was just picturing Fury and Coulson in the 90's." Darcy tried to explain her random giggle.

"You don't need to imagine. There's a picture in both their offices."

"I shall make that my life purpose!" Darcy declared, making a fist and raising it to her eye level. There was an awkward silence after her random announcement, but she decided to continue talking. Because that always makes thing better, Darcy thought sarcastically. "So what's your thing? History? Don't think I didn't notice you changing the subject."

The young man smiled lightly and looked down at her. "I'm a linguist. I'm fluent in over 10 languages, and I'm responsible for developing and extrapolating new code languages."

"That's awesome. I took French for like 3 years. I don't know much except how ask where something is, but then I have to say what I'm looking for in English." Darcy said, trying to contribute to the conversation but failing and looking like a complete dork. "Où sont les local gay clubs." Darcy said, smiling at the memory of her and her high school friend's trip to Paris after they graduated. The agent laughed with her and when the doors to the elevator slid open, he quickly schooled his features back into 'serious mode'.

They stepped out into the hallway and Darcy paused not knowing which way to go. The agent raised his right arm and gestured down that path. "After you."

"Thank you. I'm sorry, I didn't introduce myself. I'm Darcy." She felt like a fool for her lack of introduction.

"Don't worry Miss Lewis. I know who you are." He replied. Darcy frowned at his avoidance of common manners.

"This is usually the part where you tell me your name, and we shake hands or make polite small talk." Darcy told him, why did everyone here avoid normal things like civil conversation? Maybe it was part of their training, when they know that they are no longer people but 'agents' because they can't converse with civilians anymore without being prompted.

"Sorry, I'm used to everyone just knowing each other. I'm Alex Hudson." They had stopped outside a door, and Darcy raised her hand to shake his.

"Alex." Darcy repeated, smiling at the sound of his name on her tongue.

He smiled back. "Alex." His voice reaffirming his name.

"Alex." A new voice echoed them. Darcy jumped and spun around to see Agent Clint Barton standing in the doorway of the room they stopped at.

"Sir, I was just dropping Miss Lewis off for your training session." Alex Hudson said, straightening up, it wouldn't have surprised Darcy if he saluted the older man. She rolled her eyes and shook her head slightly at the absurdity of status in this agency. How was knowing 10 languages ranked below being really good at playing with arrows? She never understood ranks or hierarchy in the army or businesses and S.H.I.E.L.D's seemed way more complicated.

Darcy looked back and forth between the two agents. Alex was taller than Barton, but not anywhere near as well built. Barton's amazingly good looks weren't easy to match either. He oozed manliness, skill and technique and Alex… well Alex just didn't.

Awareness soon sank in, and Darcy turned to Agent Barton. "You're the one training me?" She didn't know that when she signed up for target practice.

"Well, I am the world's best marksman. I'm really the only person you would want." Darcy picked up on various things about what he just said. First off, he was bragging. Secondly, his mischievous and sly tone implied something that was obviously meant to make the younger agent feel uncomfortable and anxious. Could Hawkeye be jealous of her speaking to Alex? Darcy was irritated by his immature behaviour but didn't want to overreact. Maybe she was reading into it too much? She had a habit of doing that and she didn't want to seem egotistical that Clint would actually care about her or who she spoke to. Maybe there was some kind of history between the two guys that she didn't want to get involved in, she contemplated.

"Awesome. Thank you Alex, but I should probably get going." Darcy said, hoping to diffuse the tension that was building in the air. "I wouldn't want to keep the world's best marksman waiting for too long." She was surprised at how genuine her attempt of sarcasm sounded as she gave Alex a quick smile and wave before pushing Agent Barton back into the room with a firm shove to the chest and letting the door close behind her.

She stood a couple feet away from him, one hand on her hip and the other dangling by her side, her weight all on her left leg. "What was that about?" She demanded. Clint just smirked at her, running his thumb over his jaw as if highly amused about something.

"Nothing. Nothing at all." He obviously lied to her. She knew when a man was acting like a possessive Neanderthal and Clint was two seconds away from killing a mammoth with a rock tied to the end of a stick. She was tempted to roll her eyes but knew she needed to make an effort to fix the damage she cause last night with that brash comment about their kiss being a mistake.

"Right, then let's get started." Darcy said optimistically, dropping her hand that was on her hip and walking over to a table against the closest wall. The wall was covered with weapons and ammo; the table held a various amount of protective equipment such as gloves, earmuffs and safety glasses. Darcy let her eyes rake over all the weapons, guns, knives, crossbows, a bow and arrows, another load of guns… This was suddenly a lot more daunting than Darcy thought it would be. She could end up looking like an incompetent idiot by the end of this afternoon. She was usually okay with that. Working with Jane and Erik, she dealt with feeling idiotic and out of her depth on a daily basis. So why was did she care so much about that now? She turned around and saw Clint a couple steps behind her; he was wearing all black today. Black combat trousers, black boots, a tight black t-shirt… Oh, that's why, Darcy thought to herself. "What first?" She reached out, deliberating what to touch first as she let her hand glide in front of the guns, moving slowly towards a bitchin' looking bow. She smiled and unhooked it from the wall.

"Good choice." Clint told her, his voice was a lot closer to her ear now causing her to jump and spin around quickly. He was standing right behind her, his left arm reaching around the side of her face to grab some arrows. Darcy couldn't see anything else but him in her line of vision. His t-shirt stretched over his chest and broad shoulders. His tanned muscular arms! God they were so hot! She was having trouble remembering where she was. His body just called out to be hugged and touched and stripped. She wanted to trace her finger over the protruding veins in his arms and hands. Darcy felt her face get hot and slowly raised her head so she was looking at his eyes. They were looking behind her, focusing on the various pieces of archery equipment placed on the table, and his mouth was in a tight line of concentration.

"Well how could I give up this once in a life time opportunity to learn from the best?" She asked rhetorically, slightly breathless at their close proximity. Still staring at his face, learning his features, she watched as his mouth slowly tweaked up and formed an adorably bashful smile. It quickly faded before he stood up straight and turned his gaze to her.

"Put your hands out in front of you." He instructed her, taking the bow from her hand and placing it on the table behind her then stepping off to her side. She did as he said. "Now put your hands together, but leave a small diamond shape in the centre, like this." He demonstrated, placing his left fingers over his right at an angle, his thumbs at the bottom, making a diamond where they crossed. Darcy copied his hands and held them in front of her. "Now focus on that clock." It was on the opposite wall, way over on the other side of the large room. She did as he asked. "Then, keep looking at, keeping it in the middle of the hole in your hands while you slowly bring them towards your eyes." Darcy did, her elbows bending. She kept the clock in the gap between her hands and slowly found herself looking out of the gap with her right eye, the back of her left hand covering her left eye.

Clint patted her elbow and she lowered her arms. "Fantastic, you're right-eye dominate."

Darcy snorted. "You know just what a girl wants to hear!"

"It means you will use a right-handed bow because you aim with your right eye." Clint explained, although, that made Darcy more confused.

"Bow's come in left and right?"

"Yep." Was his speedy reply, Darcy guessed he got asked that a lot when training newbies. "First you'll need this." He handed her a piece of long plastic with straps on each end, they looked familiar.

"And this is?" Darcy asked, as she examined the object.

"It goes on your right forearm. Trust me, you want to wear one." Darcy fiddled with the straps for a moment, it was hard when she could only use her left hand, but managed to get the arm guard on her arm snugly. "Now let's work on your posture before you get to play with the arrows." He said, handing her the bow again and walking over to a target range. Darcy followed after she tilted her head and stared at his butt in those trousers for a second.

Clint went over basic posture and foot positions before letting her pull back on the unloaded bow string, his hands guiding hers. Telling her little things like "bring your elbow in" and "use your shoulders, not your wrist to pull back". It was interesting to learn the technique but she frowned as she brought the bow back at one point, making sure to she was pulling her shoulder blade back to pull the string and breathing in not out.

"How do you do all of this?" Darcy joked. She hadn't even shot one arrow yet, and her arms were beginning to ache.

Clint laughed, and Darcy found she liked that sound. "You get used to it after a while." He placed his hand on the small of her back as she practiced another shot, pressing the hard line of his body against hers soft curves. Darcy took a deep breath in and brought the string back, as close to her face as she dared, the string brushed her lower lip and she slowly released the three fingers holding it and watched as it whipped back into place, the force causing the bow to wobble slightly in her left hand.

"Perfect." Clint's deep, yet soft voice, murmured by her left ear; the sensation of his warm breath tickling her was too much and Darcy couldn't take it any longer. She was only female!

She turned her whole body left, into his and while still holding the bow, she threw her arms around his shoulders, using his body to pull herself up and into him firmly. Their lips crashed, and Darcy immediately opened her mouth to taste more of him, her head tilting instinctually to the right. Clint was more than happy to oblige as his tongue darted out and started moving slowly and sensually over hers. Their tongues battled each other's for a minute before Clint picked up the pace as he put his hands on her butt and pulled her hips closer to his. Darcy moaned in lust at the glorious friction caused by their grinding. Fuck, his response was amazing, she told herself as she clawed his shoulder. This was much more grabby and hunger driven than their last kiss.

He tasted like mint and apples. She flicked her tongue and licked the roof of his mouth. She loved mint and apples.

She was aware that she was being pushed backwards but didn't care or know why until her back slammed against the wall next to the weapons display. She was vaguely aware of a clattering as she let go of the bow, leaving her hands free to explore him. She pulled back for a second to catch her breath, which was damned near impossible; so she gave up and started kissing Clint's jaw, from the hinge down, along the strong curve and into his neck, placing little licks and bites and sucks whenever she felt like it. She was rewarded with a throaty moan from him when she nibbled then sucked at Clint's pulse point. His hips, that were pinning her to the wall, bucked against hers. Through his combat trousers and her thin sweats, she could feel how hard he was. Her hips returned the grind, loving the groan she got in return. When did her leg wrap around him?

He pulled her head away from his neck with a hand that had become tangled in Darcy's hair at some point. She was suddenly worried she'd done something wrong, but he silenced those fears when he forcefully smashed his lips back onto hers. She smiled into his mouth when she felt his hands begin to explore her body more. Running up and down her sides, Darcy was thankful she wore that thin S.H.I.E.L.D top instead of the jumper she had initially planned to. Clint released her mouth, and their heavy breathing intermingled as she watched him stare at her. His eyes taking in every detail, he looked down, his penetrating gaze racking over her hips, chest and then back to her face. He was panting, but so was she. Darcy found that she loved how he looked when he was flustered and out of breath. She'd have to make him like that more often, she mused.

Slowly, he moved one of his hands up from her hip and brushed the edge of her jaw lightly with his knuckles. It was very intimate, and suddenly Darcy couldn't breathe again, her eyelids fluttered closed. It was like a roller coaster with him, and she didn't know what was going to happen next, was it a big drop or an upside-down loop? He stroked some hair out of her face and started to trail light kisses along her jaw, mimicking her earlier actions. It made her want to practically beg him to stop and continue at the same time.

Darcy tilted her head back, giving him more access to her flesh, her eyes opened, and she wrapped her arms around his head as he started kissing her exposed collar bone, getting closer to her uncovered cleavage.

"Wait." She called out. Clint froze where he was. Darcy could feel his chest heaving against her stomach. "Please." That little word must have snapped something in Clint's mind as he pushed himself away from Darcy as if he'd been burned.

Darcy felt hot. Too hot. She had freaked out; it was going too quick, and now they were both standing across from each other, avoiding the others gaze, like awkward teenagers at a school dance.

She ran a hand over her hair, trying to tame the mess as she chanced a look at him. His hands were clenched into fists, and the veins in his arms were pumped out. She was mesmerized for a moment by the fast rise and fall of his chest and noticed her breathing matched his. His mouth was open as if in disbelief, and his eyes were darting back and forth. She could practically see him thinking. He closed his mouth, and it formed a tight line, the muscles by the hinge of his jaw clenched. Shit, she knew that look.

She needed to say something, anything! She could see him closing himself off from her, like last night when they were walking to the bar. That's not what she meant when she told him to stop. She needed to backtrack.

"Clint." She began. "That was…" There were no words, how could she not think of any words? Just any positive thing she could muster and yet she was drawing a blank! "Wow." 'Wow' would work, Darcy thought, she could work with 'Wow', relieved she actually managed to speak. "It's just… You're a freakin' Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. You're this bad-ass guy who could kill someone with a random object, like a donut or a birthday card or something." She wasn't thinking straight; she needed to get to her point quickly. "And I'm… Darcy. Just me." She hoped that sounded more intelligible then it probably was. His breathing had slowed down, but he still wasn't looking at her. It was too late. He'd shut down and closed her out. Shit, Natasha was going to kill her! "You're amazingly awesome and so gorgeous, and I'm…Just me." She repeated lamely, letting out a hasty exhale of air, wringing her fingers together in front of her as nerves overtook her.

She saw him approaching and looked up hoping to see some hint of his emotions, but his features were still ultra-controlled, and she couldn't get a read on him.

He kneeled down and picked up the abandoned bow off the floor by her feet. Standing up, he handed it back over to her, their fingers brushing as she wrapped her fingers around the handle. She just kept looking at him, her eyes wide at his actions.

"I'll prove how amazingly awesome you are." He said, his voice low and unwavering, giving her a swift kiss on her cheek and then walked away. She stared at his back, confused at his words. He turned, looking back at her. "Come on." He encouraged, throwing something long and thin in Darcy's direction. She easily caught it and spun it between her fingers. It was an arrow. She stared at it in disbelief then looked to her side. She wondered how he managed to grab that from the wall next to her. Probably when he kissed her cheek, damn him, distracting her with his sexiness, she mused. What a sneaky bastard.

"Seriously?" Darcy beamed. "I get to use the arrows now?" The excitement ran through her body as she jogged a couple of steps to catch up with Clint, the tension in the air completely gone.

"Yes. Now do you remember what I taught you?" He asked, a relaxed smile on his face which Darcy found charming. He wasn't shutting her out! She felt her own smile get bigger; she must have looked deliriously insane with happiness.

"Before or after that totally mind blowing, fuck me now kiss?" Darcy asked innocently, looking up at him through her eyelashes.

He leaned down and caught her lips with his; giving her a very slow and sensual kiss. It was short, but when he pulled back, Darcy found herself trying to reach up and capture his lips again only to find empty space. Her eyes fluttered open, when did she close them? She pondered. He had an amused and smug look on his face that made the skin around his eyes wrinkle up. Darcy decided she liked the expression, even if it was caused by her silly school-girl-like actions. "Before." He whispered at her, his mouth hovering inches above hers.

"Alright then." Darcy stood up straight, turning her feet into the sturdy position he taught her. She placed the arrow into the bow carefully; then raised it to her eye level. It took her a second to find and line up her target, and she quickly released the string as she exhaled.

Lowering the bow, she squealed and jumped up and down when she saw the arrow had hit the center of the target, which was over 100 feet away at the other end of the training room.

"Oh my God! I did it!" She hugged Clint excitedly at her success. "That was so cool!" Clint wrapped his arms around her body as he stared at the embedded arrow over her shoulder, his eyes narrowed at the proof of her feat.

"You did." He muttered into her hair. "It's unbelievable." He really hoped it was just him being an excellent teacher but knew deep down that wasn't the whole truth.

Xxxxxx

* * *

Thanks, I hope you enjoyed reading.

Translations:

невнимательный - (Russian) Distracted/Careless

нет - (Russian) No

лгун - (Russian) Liar

Où sont les local gay clubs - (French) Where are the local gay clubs

Let me know what you think by leaving a review.

Charlie


	8. Chapter 8

PrentissMysteryChallenge, Angel Bells, c3lph t1tl3d, Peyton, Red red red ribbon, anon, Rebecca Taylor and kritters03 – You are all amazing! You're reviews mean so much to me and I wish there was some way to make it up to each and every one of you for your continued praise! I hope you all enjoy this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it and it doesn't disappoint! Thanks again, you are all such legends that I want to give you badges of awesomeness!

SleepySandy – What can I say except, thank you. Truly, you are such an amazing person and I love talking to you. You are my inspiration and my incentive for this story, I hope that doesn't sound as stalker-y as it reads…

TuuliSenka – Another amazing review. I'm going to PM you after I post this chapter so we can geek out over Clint and Darcy! Seriously, thank you for your constantly wonderful words, and English isn't even your first language! It must be such an effort to write these brilliantly kind reviews and yet you always do! I light up every time I see your name in my inbox and have on a few occasions gone back over your comments when I need motivation to write the next chapter. I cannot thank you enough and if I'm ever in France then I am coming to see you! Watch out!

Dhauren – Tell me about it! Thanks for you review, I hope you like what happens next!

Booklover9477 – Foreshaddowing is my middle name ;-) I like to make things so obvious that the reader is screaming to the main character to notice! I hope it doesn't get too frustrating. I really want someone to draw a picture of that 'The Original Agents' photo, if only I was good at art :-( I'm worse than Natasha is! Thanks again for the amazing review, I hope this chapter doesn't let you down!

Selene Illusinia – Tell me about it! It's like, why can't agents discuss relationship problems like normal people? Thank you for reviewing each chapter, it means so much and I love everything you say, it's so rewarding to have people be enthusiastic about my story like you are.

Mylove24 – Another lovely review! Thank you. I am so stunned by your continued support and praise! I only hope this chapter doesn't disappoint after the last!

BAD HERO – Hopefully this chapter will shed some light on your musings, although I don't want to give it all away! Thanks for your review and I hope you find this chapter as hot as the last, if not more so ;-)

Enchanting Imagination – I like Alex, I was worried he'd get a really bad response, I'm glad you like him as well. I hope you like this chapter!

Snowspell – Wow, thaks for such an amazing review! Thank you for your comments on Clint, I was worried I'd get his character wrong. I'm glad you liked the Russian, I was worried everyone would be like "WTF" and hate it! I will be going back at some point and making little adjustments so thanks for pointing that out and I'll add it to my list of things that need fixing. As for the other things you mentioned, you'll just have to wait and see! I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint!

Lenetra – I'm sorry if you need to buy a new computer after this… thanks for another lovely review. I so want you to enjoy this chapter, especially the end scene ;-)

TarynWulf – I must admit, I've actively hunted the internet for pictures of JR's butt. It was research… Thanks for another lovely review!

1990chance – I totally do that as well! I've bookmarked my favourite stories and Darcy archive and check it ten times a day to see if anyone's updated! So glad I'm not the only one! Thanks for the lovely comment and if you send me a PM then I'll be happy to add you!

Little miss michelle – It gets steamyer… That's not a word but trust me! I hope you enjoy it!

Rammy 2010 – Thanks! I'm happy you're enjoying my story, let's hope this chapter doesn't disappoint!

Patpat – MY French is terrible, I used an online translator so I hope I didn't butcher that sentence too much, I went to Paris a few years ago and I'm sure everyone hated me as I asked for things just this Darcy did!

SugarMuffin08 – Thank you so much for your kind kind words, you have no idea how much I appreciate them, I get really worried about my writing style and you made my day with your review. I really hope this chapter doesn't let the last one down now!

No time like the present – The question on everyone's lips is "Who's Darcy's dad?" You won't be getting a full answer anytime soon though, sorry! Thank you for another lovely review!

LadyMalys – I try and keep things as believable as possible, I actually find it hard to write people like Tony and Natasha, so you're review was really great, to see I'm not hopelessly failing at it all! I hope you like the update!

Katie-Kakes97 – I've been on an Avengers high for the last 6 weeks! Hence this story lol. I hope this new chapter satisfies your craving, it's got lots of Thor and Avengers Universe in it!

Mushroomking98 – Sorry for the long update, I hope your computer doesn't burst into flames from your glares, I don't think this chapter will help though! I hope you enjoy it!

Xxxxxx

* * *

Chapter 8

Darcy was humming to herself as she worked her way through the maze of corridors and back towards her room. It was some catchy pop song she heard on the radio a few weeks ago. She scoffed at the lyrics then; something about love and being blind at first, but now they seemed to fit her mood quite nicely.

Today went a lot better than she thought it would, and she couldn't wait to tell Jane about it. Darcy stopped her tune when she thought about her roommate. Jane didn't know anything about her kissing Clint during the battle or how she accidently insulted and offended him last night. Actually, Jane didn't really know anything about her life, love or otherwise. Darcy knew every little detail about Jane. She had spent evenings comforting an upset Jane when she had doubts that Thor was never coming back, and yet, she could bet a month's wages that Jane didn't know any of her ex-boyfriends names.

Darcy's hand hovered over the door handle; this was always the way it was with her, everyone wanted to moan at her about their problems or share their successes with her, but no one ever stopped to ask her about her troubles or congratulate her accomplishments. Darcy was a damned good friend! She cared about her friends a lot, enough to even stand in front of a crazy evil God to protect them and it seemed Jane never really had the same regard for her. Maybe it was just because Jane was always working too hard to think about stuff like that? Maybe it was because Darcy never wanted to look weak or troubled in front of other people? She always fell into that kooky weird and bubbly shaped hole, never trying to be more.

Stop over thinking things! She scolded herself. She was happy and didn't need insecurities weighing her down, not when a dreamy sexy man with amazing arms was hot for her.

She pushed down the handle as she decided to keep the whole Clint thing secret from Jane. She would only look down at her and her brash, impulsive nature if Darcy told her about the fight kiss. Not that Jane could talk, Darcy mused. 'Macking on Thor when he was doing the gentlemanly thing of kissing her knuckles.

Walking into the living room, she had to flick the lights on. She couldn't see any signs of Jane's recent presence, her coat and hat were gone and her laptop wasn't on the table where it usually was. Walking over to the small kitchen, Darcy saw a note attached to the fridge that she began to read.

'Erik + I are out tonight. Won't be back til morning. J.' Jane's handwriting was scribbled hastily on the piece of paper; Darcy took it down and flipped it over. It was written on the back of an old receipt for Pop-tarts and milk from a 7/11 in New Mexico. Darcy rolled her eyes at Jane's inability to organize herself like a normal person and throw crap like that away, although it had come in handy now, she supposed.

She decided to spend the rest of the evening watching some TV and eating some dinner, which consisted of cereal. She didn't want to go to the big canteen that most S.H.I.E.L.D Agents ate in, and a box of slightly stale breakfast cereal was the only thing edible left in their apartment. She tipped herself some into a bowl and poured a small amount of milk over the top. She didn't like it too soggy but thought the milk would help disguise the past expiry date taste of the Lucky Charms. Grabbing a spoon, Darcy made her way over to the sofa and switched on the TV. She channel hopped for a while, pausing on the news where they were showing the same footage of The Avengers and the Chitauri from the other day. Darcy had already seen all of it in the various debriefs they all had to attend. This news program seemed to be focusing mainly on Captain America. She smiled as that sweet girl being interviewed was shown again. Darcy wished she could find out who the girl was. Beth was her name, according to the nametag pinned to her uniform. She'd like to give her number to Steve, although he was still struggling to come to terms with technology; so texting might be out of the question. Her name probably wasn't even Beth. Darcy worked in a small café back home in Philadelphia during a gap year before college, she was there for eight months, and she was still wearing someone called Lola's badge.

She flipped over to another station and smiled when she recognized the people on the screen. Hello Buffy, Darcy thought cheerfully, then put the remote control down next to her. What season is this? She asked herself. "Who are you dating?" She pondered, only this time aloud. Her question was answered when Riley appeared on screen. "Awesome." She liked Riley, he was positive and reliable, and he looked very hot holding a gun. Darcy suddenly gasped as she compared the similarities of Riley and the secret organization he worked for to Clint and the secret organization he worked for! She smiled and clapped lightly to herself at the thought of Clint and couldn't help giggle at the memory of his body pressed against hers.

God she needed to get laid. By either Riley or Clint, she wasn't fussy.

A buzzing sound came out of nowhere and made her jump, spilling a bit of cereal on her top.

"Fuck."

Was there an intercom in here? Darcy looked around while trying to wipe milk off her shirt. She soon found that it was the phone making the noise, but it wasn't ringing. Looking down at the stand that cradled the phone with suspicion, Darcy poked the biggest button that seemed like the most logical choice and waited.

"Hello?"

"Miss Lewis," It was Fury. "I'm coming to get you." Then the line died. Darcy frowned and her fingers felt numb.

What had she done? What was happening? She quickly turned off the TV and checked herself in a mirror, making sure she looked a bit presentable for Fury. There was now a stain on her top from the spilt milk, no point crying over that, she joked. But her hair was a little messy, and some of her make-up had worn off since this morning, mainly her lipstick… Darcy suddenly panicked. Was that what this was about? Was Director Fury coming to yell at her for kissing Agent Barton? Fuck… She was so screwed.

Darcy didn't have much time to ponder this thought as her door opened with so much force it smacked the wall behind making Darcy gasp and spin around to face the intruder. It was Fury; he looked as mean as ever with his bad ass eye patch and wearing his black uniform complete with a leather jacket that she didn't think was particularly necessary indoors.

"Miss Lewis please follow us." Darcy took a small step forward and noticed Agent Romanoff standing behind the taller man. She looked serious, her posture nowhere near as relaxed as last night. Shit.

"Okay. Have I done something wrong?" She asked, choosing her words carefully.

"No, not at all." Natasha told her, calming her fears but still looking grim at the situation. Darcy's eyebrows quirked up as her forehead creased with concern.

"We just want to take you to see Loki. Now." He emphasized. "He is refusing to answer any of our questions until he has seen either you or Jane, and we are under a time constraint." Fury explained as they left the apartment and walked down the hall, heading away from the lift she usually used. "Dr. Foster is not here at the moment so we're making do."

Darcy felt offended. "Making do? Is that really the way you want to refer to me? I can easily refuse." She bluffed, knowing that if Director Fury wanted something from her then she had no chance in hell of saying no.

"Excuse me?" Fury said, halting in the middle of the corridor.

"I want to watch the rest of Buffy. I don't want to see Loki. I'd rather taser myself in the face." Darcy told him simply. She squashed down her fear as she refused the older, more powerful man, who had a gun, she reminded herself, her eyes scanned Fury's body quickly, make that 4 guns… "If you asked me nicely, however…" Darcy let the sentence trail on. She glanced over at Natasha whose eyes were wide with shock; obviously no one has spoken to him like this before. Good, it was about time someone put him in his place.

Fury's face was perfectly composed for a moment before he growled. It took everything Darcy had to not look at him funny.

"Fine." Darcy smiled as his face now scowled as if he was eating a lemon. "Miss Lewis, please, as a matter of national security, would you spend one minute of your evening talking to Loki about wherever the fuck you like." His voice was controlled and quiet, but Darcy could feel his anger and frustration behind the words.

"It would be my pleasure." She replied, smiling as innocently as she could muster.

They used a different elevator to get down to Loki's holding cell, and 5 minutes and 10 different types of security checks later Darcy was standing in front of the big bad man himself.

"Hey Loki, what's up?" Darcy greeted him chirpily, a huge smile wide on her lips.

"Miss Lewis. It is lovely to see you again." Loki replied. He was in a large round cell, completely lined with windows. Darcy wondered if that could really hold him if he wanted to escape. "Can I assume Miss Foster is out this evening?" His smile didn't falter.

"Yep, she's probably doing some insanely clever experiment somewhere. Who knows?" Darcy tilted her head at him as they continued to stare at each other. "But you knew that already, didn't you?" She guessed, giving him a cheeky smirk.

Loki laughed, and she was struck with how handsome he would look if he wasn't a nutcase and wore some normal clothes for a change. Meh, he was still too tall for her. "You are very perceptive." He complimented her.

"Thank you." She didn't know how she was keeping her cool, probably from dealing with all those druggy assholes and posers from high school, but this was actually going a lot smoother than she originally anticipated. Maybe it was because he was confined to a cell and couldn't hurt her. She may not be in control, but he certainly wasn't either. "So why'd you wanna chat?" She asked, hoping to speed things along. He kept perfectly silent. Darcy rolled her eyes and tried another line of conversation. "Crazy weather we've been having."

"Come on, Miss Lewis, neither of us knows what the weather is like." Darcy nodded; it was true. They were both trapped in this place unless some high and mighty people decided they could leave. Only Loki was in a more apparent prison than she was.

"_I_ have a TV." She shrugged. "What about you? Did they even offer you a magazine or something?" Looking around the glass cage she couldn't see anything else but him in there. There was a bench at the back but even that didn't have a pillow.

"They offered."

"Do they feed you?" Darcy suddenly thought, not able to stop the words from coming out.

"I find I am actually enjoying the food." Loki smirked at her, surprised at his own admission.

Darcy laughed, this felt kind of normal. "I bet you are. Have you had the lasagne? It's amaze-balls. Totes incredible." She purposefully used words he wouldn't understand, to show she had a bit more power than he did, but he did the arrogant thing and pretended to comprehend her slang.

"Not yet. I now look forward to trying it for the first time." He answered; Darcy was struck by how sincere and almost charming he was. No, he was an arrogant ass that brainwashed Clint. He's a dick and the reason you're not watching Buffy kick some vampire butt right now, she reminded herself.

"You don't have lasagne on Asgard? That is an outrage." Darcy joked. She would have been more outraged if they did have it but she wasn't going to say that. "Your mother never made you it when you were feeling depressed?" She asked, not expecting or waiting for an answer. "It was my dad's go to dish when I was upset."

Now it was Loki's turn to tilt his head and examine the young woman. "My mother never made food; it was not part of her duties."

"That makes sense; she was the queen after all." Darcy knew she could be walking on thin ice, mentioning his parents, but she didn't know what else to talk about. She was beginning to feel uncomfortable standing in front of him.

"She still is."

"What's she like?" Darcy tried to imagine an Asgardian Queen. She didn't think she posed for stamps or gave Christmas speeches like the queens she knew about on Earth.

"She is an amazing woman. She is so strong and brave." Loki spoke, his eyes distant. Darcy guessed his mind was literally on another planet.

"She'd have to be, having you and Thor as sons." Darcy hoped by mentioning Thor that she was edging towards the reason she was down here.

"That is truth." Loki mused, his tone light and full of happiness. "You remind me of her."

"Really? I always thought I'd make a good Queen." Darcy lied. She'd make a terrible queen, and she knew it. Her potty mouth and inability to think before she spoke were not qualities made for royalty.

"You are able to control men without them knowing it. That is vital for a woman married to power." Loki told her. The way he spoke, the tone he used made her believe he truly meant what he was saying.

"Do I?" She didn't think she had that quality. Hell, if she did then why couldn't she keep a boyfriend for longer than a month?

Loki's eyes softened but a second later hardened. His tone and posture changed; suddenly she was reminded of a snake focusing on its prey. She heard herself squawk like a small mouse, which didn't help deter the metaphor. "Miss Darcy Lewis. You are very good. How old are you?" His eyes narrowed slightly out of curiosity. "22, 23?"

"23." What was he getting at?

"Wasn't it you that first spotted the 'anomaly' in New Mexico?" Darcy nodded. Loki's grin only got wider, revealing his teeth as he moved closer to her in his cage. "They think you're special, did you know that?"

Darcy swallowed as her eyes glanced over at the door she came by. She wasn't feeling as brave anymore. "No they don't."

"Oh, they do. I can see it in their eyes; I can smell it when I speak of you. They fear what you might do next, how you might react and the damage you'd do." He put too much emphasis on the last part. React to what? Darcy was starting to get angry, was S.H.I.E.L.D hiding something from her? She knew they had their secrets but what weren't they telling her?

"React to what?" Darcy spat through clenched teeth. Loki's smirk increased, only slightly, but she noticed it. Shit, that was the reaction he wanted from her. God of fucking Mischief and Lies. She was being played by him! She felt stupid now but didn't want to admit to him her doubt of S.H.I.E.L.D, she only hoped she had a good poker face now and could turn her distrust of this organization into distrust of him without him noticing. "How I'd react to your bullshit?" Loki's smirk fell a centimeter. Darcy decided to push her luck; she tossed her arms out to her sides and started lying. "I am fucking special. I'm a big deal around here. For example, I can see through your crap." Darcy tried to channel all the bad-ass woman from movies she'd seen, hoping she could fake their awesomeness. "You're the God of Lies? Well I'm the protector of truth and justice." Darcy exclaimed, hitting her chest with her hands. "I steal from the rich and give to the poor. The force is strong with me because I'm the king of the fucking world and you can't handle the truth!" Darcy finished, hoping that her own bullshit and butchering of some of the most classic movie catchphrases she could think of would be enough to shock and confuse Loki.

The reaction she got was not what she expected. He freaked out and slammed his fist against the glass, making Darcy jump. "You are nothing!" Loki sneered at her though the glass. "You are nothing but the weak pathetic child of a weak pathetic man!"

Darcy jerked her chin out at him when he mentioned her father. "Are you really the one to be telling me that? People in glass houses and all…" She motioned her hands to his actual glass house, hoping he knew what saying she was referring to.

There was a long silence as the two of them just stared at each other. Darcy took a couple of steps forward and placed her hand over where his fist was still placed on the cage.

"Hey, dude, I'm sorry. I was just joking." She said softly. His eyes widened in horror as he realized she was just messing with him. Darcy almost felt sorry for him. Almost. "Your life would be a lot easier if you just worked with them, you know?" Loki fist unclenched, staring at her hand as he laid his flat on top of hers, only the thick glass separating their skin. "It must be hard, being raised one way and finding out that it was all a lie. That your whole life was fake. I could never begin to imagine what that must feel like." Darcy shook her head as she continued, tapping her index finger against his. "I don't blame you for freaking out, I would." Darcy admitted to him. "Probably not to the scale _you_ did, but you don't have to cut everyone out of your life. If anyone deserves a second chance, it's you. And they," Darcy looked over at the door, Loki followed her gaze. She turned back to him, his green eyes still fixed on the door, a look of longing on his face. "They can give you that. You just have to say yes." She had no idea what she was talking about, but if Fury wanted Loki's cooperation, then she must have been on the right track. "That's the hardest part." Loki pressed his forehead against the glass in front of Darcy. She resisted the urge to flinch and step back.

"I can't stop him." Loki whispered.

"You can if you say yes." Darcy said, she gave what she hoped was a reassuring smile, she had no idea who the 'him' he referred to was, but if Loki joined the side of the Avengers, then she had no doubt that there wasn't anyone they couldn't stop. Together.

Loki lifted his head and glanced at the door. "I think our time is up." He said bitterly. Fury was standing by the open door. There was no sign of Natasha. Darcy remembered last night when Natasha said she never wanted to see Loki.

"Okay. Well if you want to speak again, you know how to reach me." Darcy joked; she gave him a sad smile which he returned.

"Thank you, Miss Lewis. I knew I was right about you."

"Call me Darcy." She said as she stepped back from the prison cell.

"Darcy, protector of truth and justice. It suits you." She snorted at his teasing but couldn't stop a grin from spreading on her face. "Darcy, if you want to speak again, and I think you might want to soon, you know how to reach me."

"Thanks." Darcy was surprised by how much she meant it, before being escorted out of the holding room.

Natasha was waiting on the other side of the door, she apologized that she had to go with Fury to 'deal with some things' while leading Darcy back to the elevator they came down in.

Natasha entered a code into the panel next to the elevator and gave the short girl a quick pat on the back. "You did great in there."

She was right, Darcy wanted to feel proud that she faced the man who put her in so much danger less than 3 days ago, but she was getting light headed, her mind straying back to that day. Straying back to that moment when she was falling. The panic was tearing through her as she put up a fake smile in front of Natasha.

"What…" Darcy started but couldn't find the strength to say it. She was struggling to breathe normally, and there was a pressure in her chest that was building. She pressed her hands against her sternum, hoping to regain some composure. "What room is Clint's?" She finally managed to ask without freaking out, but still so shaken up that she didn't feel embarrassed for asking. She needed a hug, she was tempted to reach other to the taller woman, but she knew it wasn't really Natasha's style. Plus, she was in a hurry to follow Fury's next command.

Natasha gave her a warm smile. "Level 1, Room 16." She whispered in Darcy's ear before running off down the hall back towards Fury.

Darcy was left alone as she travelled back up to her floor. She tried to think of the circus, but she had been on such an emotional ride with Loki today. She was shocked and appalled that she sympathized with a mass murderer! She tried to hold onto the smell of popcorn and the sound of laughter, but it was too late.

As soon as the doors shut her in and started to move up, she leaned against the side and let the tears flow freely.

Xxxxxx

* * *

It wasn't long before the sobs that racked her chest slowly subsided, and Darcy wiped away the tears from her eyes. She didn't know how long she had been in the elevator, but it had stopped moving and the doors opened as soon as she wiped the last bit of moisture away from her face. She was on Level 3, her and Jane's floor. Thankfully the hallways were empty, Darcy thought it was a bit unusual considering it was nearly 8pm but didn't question her luck…..

Quickly popping into her room, Darcy moved around the apartment like she was on a mission but dazed as if sleep walking. Her mind kept running around in circles, thinking of pointless things to distract herself with. She changed out of her work out clothes into a pair of comfy S.H.I.E.L.D issue gym shorts and one of her t-shirts with a strange design of a tree on it. She frowned at her reflection and stripped off the shirt and decided to just wear a comfy hoodie with a zip down front over her bra. She looked ready to spend an evening watching TV; it was familiar to her but didn't help bring her out of the blue mood she had fallen into. She brushed her hair and teeth, washed her face and applied a small amount of make-up on, mainly to cover her cuts, which were almost healed, but to also make her eyes look less like a girl who had just been crying.

She found herself a moment later in the normal elevator heading on a short journey to Level 1, her hands tucked snugly into the pockets of the hoodie. It was only when she was knocking on Room 16's door that she realized where she was and what exactly she was doing. Darcy felt a wave of panic but decided not to let it show and stood steadily outside his door, waiting for him to answer and praying for him to accept her.

There was a hurried sound, and Darcy watched the door handle twist, opening to reveal Clint Barton in a faded red t-shirt and a pair of black pyjama bottoms that hung on his hips loosely, his hair was still damp from a recent shower. Darcy bit down on her lower lip at the image in front of her.

"'Tash, I'm not-" He paused as he looked up to see someone he wasn't expecting. "Darcy." He quickly poked his head out around the door frame to check the corridor, immediately knowing something was wrong. "Come in. What's the matter?" He stepped away from the entrance and let her enter his apartment. Darcy looked around awkwardly, his room was exactly the same as hers, only there were a couple of pictures by his TV, and the kitchen was full of utensils. She turned around and looked at Clint, she still hadn't answered his question and he was looking at her with concern written all over his face. "Darcy?" He repeated.

She took a huge breath in, finding it easier to breathe with him around than before.

"I'm fine." She lied. She was freaked out like hell. Fury, a man who swore to her that she was safe in this building, had just put her in front of the scariest man she could imagine and expected her to get information when he couldn't. Was he insane? To make matters worse Darcy didn't know how she felt anymore. Loki was terrifying and made her hyperventilate just at the thought of what he could do with all that power, and yet, he was also lost and alone. She could relate to that. And she did. She connected with him! She felt like crying when he looked desperately at the door, wanting acceptance but not thinking himself worthy. Darcy wanted him to change, not to make life easier for The Avengers; but so he could have the life he deserved. "I saw Loki." She explained.

Clint seemed to understand exactly what was wrong with those 3 words. His jaw clenched, and he was immediately on alert. Taking a few strides forward, he was in front of Darcy, stroking her upper arms with his strong hands. "It's okay." He told her, levelling his head to hers and seeking out her eyes, willing her to believe his words.

"It is. It really is." Darcy said, laughing at her own voice, surprised that she was beginning to believe her words. She licked her lips and continued. "It was okay. Fury said he wanted to see me-" She began but was cut off.

"Fury made you see him?" Clint sounded pissed.

"Yeah but I'm glad he did. It put things in perspective." Darcy felt insane just thinking about it. "I know he did terrible things." Darcy looked into Clint's green eyes, she saw the hurt and angst and she felt her stomach drop. "I know he did terrible things to you." Running hers hands up his arms, she felt comforted by his warm flesh as she continued. "But _I_ forgive him." Clint let go of Darcy, pulling himself away and moving towards the kitchen, trying to get as much distance as possible between the two of them. Darcy felt like such a fool. Of course he was reacting badly, she had just admitted to sympathizing with a villain! "I'm sorry, but I can't lie. I'm not saying I agree with why he did what he did but I understand it. He's really sorry. He's genuinely guilty about his actions."

"I can't believe we're talking about this!" Clint said, throwing a used saucepan into the sink. It caused a loud bang, and it was a few seconds before the echo faded in the room. "This is all just a game to him! He's playing you, can't you see that? That's what he does!"

"No. I don't think he is." Darcy wrapped her arms around herself. "What if he is being sincere? What if he really wants to change and no one believes him? Isn't it better that I support him even if it is all a trick and I end up looking stupid then the alternative? That no one has faith in him and he gets bitter and angry all over again. Can you imagine what would happen then?" Darcy felt like yelling but kept control over her voice and spoke as calmly as she could.

Clint's hands were resting on the work surface; his head bend down in front of him. Darcy walked slowly over to him and around the counter so she was directly behind him. She didn't touch him, not wanting to upset him anymore than he already was.

"I really like you." Darcy admitted. "But I can't apologize for this. You're just going to have to accept that I'm going to have random faith in him or… whatever we might have… it won't work."

Clint slowly turned around and stared down at her. This was it, she had gone too far with her craziness, and he was about to say the words she'd heard so many times before. She gave a sad smile and looked at her feet. Instead, he placed both his hands on her jaw and gently lifted her head to the perfect angle for his lips to descend and kiss her.

It was flawless. Gentle, yet with enough pressure to show her he meant it. It made Darcy feel like a Princess in a Disney film when they finally get the Prince and have their first, true love kiss. It made her feel beautiful, safe and accepted all at the same time.

Agent Barton is kissing her! The thought whirled around her head; it was the only thing she could think of. Well, that and 'YAY!' as her legs turned jelly like and butterflies attacked her stomach.

Clint was the first to pull back, Darcy's eyes were still closed and she felt content. "You really like me?" He asked, the cocky smirk she was growing to both love and hate graced his face.

"Course I do, you loser. More than anyone I've ever met." She replied, earning herself another kiss. She felt Clint pick her up by her thighs and lift her around to sit on the kitchen surface he was just leaning against. Darcy laughed into his lips with excitement and wrapped her legs around his waist, thankful she wore those shorts as he ran a rough hand up her bare legs.

"Good." Clint said as he slowly unzipped the front of her hoodie. Darcy threw her head back and rested on her hands behind her as she felt the cool air hit her newly exposed chest and stomach, his lips and hands began to explore the new flesh. "Because I think you're fucking amazing." His breath tickled her stomach as he growled the words that made her heart speed up.

Darcy was getting hotter and hotter by the second. She wanted more of him. More of his hands, his lips, his tongue! She squealed as he poked his hot moist tongue in her belly button. Swirling it around the edges and flicking in and out of her navel, as though he was giving her a preview of what was next to come. Darcy squirmed at his actions and moved forward to grab Clint by his damp messy hair and pulled him up to her eye level. She gave a wide smile, unable to contain her pleasure. He looked so adorable and incredibly sexy with untidy hair. She untangled her hands and used them to push all the kitchen equipment off the counter she was sitting on and pulled him by his red shirt. He got the hint, and as Darcy began to lie down on the cool surface, he jumped up on the counter to join her. Resting his weight mostly on his hands and knees as he began to kiss her mouth again as she ran her hands under his t-shirt and over his smooth hard chest.

She groaned into his mouth.

Darcy was getting impatient with him. She wanted more, so her hands ran down his back and got a firm grip on his ass as she pulled it closer to her hips, and soon they were grinding hard. She couldn't stop the moans and gasps that escaped her mouth as the glorious friction they were making together hit in the right places.

Clint's mouth was giving her neck and chest open mouth kisses and his hands were trying to grab every inch he could of her skin, as if she was about to disappear when she moaned once again. Enough was enough, Darcy thought.

"We're…" She panted. "We're wearing too many clothes." She felt him smile into her breasts, and he pulled her up so they were sitting on the counter, legs wrapped around each other's.

"I couldn't agree more." He replied, fixing their problem by shoving the top of her hoodie over her shoulders and unhooking her arms before throwing it across his apartment. Darcy laughed and ran her hands down his arms pulling them up over his head. God she loved his arms, then moved them to the bottom of his t-shirt and lifted it over his head in a swift motion. She couldn't help but sit back a little bit and admire his chest. He was so cut she couldn't believe it! Why didn't men like that just walk around all day shirtless? No one would have a problem with it. Darcy considered that for a moment before moving so she was practically sitting on his lap and grinding her hips into his. He let out a deep groan, and Darcy made it her life's mission to get him to make the noise again.

"Bedroom?" She asked, smiling into his mouth as she gave him another heavy kiss, full of tongue and teeth and hip thrusting.

"God, you're amazing." Clint whispered, as she released his lips. He spun them around the on counter 90 degrees, his legs dangling over the edge and jumped down, holding Darcy to his lap the whole time, her legs hooked around his waist and her arms at his neck were supporting her against his body as they headed towards his bedroom. He managed to undo her bra in the process and Darcy let out a huge laugh at his ability to multitask and hoped it was a sign of good things to come.

"I know I am." She whispered in his ear and gave his earlobe a little tug with her teeth. The hungry growl that rumbled from this throat made her squirm against him, his belt buckle rubbing wonderfully through her thin shorts.

She expected to be thrown onto the bed, but she was lowered gently by strong arms, and it made Darcy smile at how gentlemanly he was and wondered just how strong he could be. She knew she wasn't as short or tiny as Jane, she had curves, and yet he carried her around like she was weightless. Darcy was all for woman's rights but that was so fucking sexy it made her want to worship him.

They slowed down for a moment, undressing each other with little kisses and bites, which was easier for Clint as she just wore stretchy shorts. Darcy was propped up naked on his bed as he stood at the end, quickly stepping out of his trousers and underwear when Darcy saw it. Two very old but very nasty scars, one on each ankle, like he had been held captive and tied up for a long period of time. Darcy tried to ignore them, not wanting to spoil the mood, but she couldn't stop the anger that bubbled up inside her at the idea of someone hurting him. As he got back onto the bed, crawling towards her to kiss her again Darcy held a finger over his lips to stop him. Using just her index finger on his mouth she guided his back onto the mattress, effectively flipped their positions and hovered over him, finally giving him the kiss he asked for before lowering herself down his chest, bringing her mouth to his hips.

"Darcy." He sucked in a gasp of air through clenched teeth as her lips enveloped him, her wide eyes never leaving his face. He moaned out of pleasure, and Darcy loved every sound he made. She used one hand on the mattress to prop herself up and the other to massage him while her mouth simultaneously sucked, licked or kissed. It wasn't long before his stomach, thigh and butt muscles were clenched to the point of torture. He grabbed her hair and roughly pulled her up to him. "I need you, now."

Darcy gave him a quick kiss and sat back on her heels for a second as he speedily searched his top drawer, finding what he was looking for. She quickly whipped the packet from his fingers and moved back down to unroll the condom onto him. She was rewarded with another groan, and he didn't waste another second as he flipped her over and positioned himself at her entrance. He looked up at her, his eyes asking for permission hoping she wouldn't deny him. She wasn't sure if they could stop now anyway. She was more than happy to nod encouragement as he leaned over her body and gave her a slow wet kiss as he slid inside her, filling her perfectly.

Darcy closed her eyes against the slight pain. It had been a while since she last had been with anyone intimately. It didn't help that Clint was certainly bigger than the last guy she hooked up with, but she became accustomed to it quickly. She opened her eyes to look at Clint, whose eyes were wide with shock, a look of fear on his face asking her a silent question. She felt like laughing but that would be highly inappropriate, not that that ever stopped her before.

She giggled. Slowly rocking her hips against his, Clint's eyes glazed over with desire. "It's just been a while." She explained to him.

Clint nodded and began to meet her movements. "Me too." He admitted, she found the slight blush that appeared on his cheeks adorable.

She was right about him being a good multi-tasker; his hands were constantly working as his hips thrust to match hers. She shivered as he ran gentle hands down from her neck, over her shoulders and along the curve of her side, finally resting on her breasts.

He spent a while admiring and focusing on her breasts, and she couldn't blame him, most guys were fascinated by her generously sized boobs, why would he be any different? Plus the things he was doing as he played with them sent tiny shocks from her nipples straight to her hips, causing them to buck and her to moan under him. After a while, his hands moved down to her waist, curling under her as he supported his own weight and stayed there. He was leaning down, his head resting just above her collarbone as they both took shaky breaths. She loved the feel of him in the crook of her neck; he was unhinged and losing control which only made Darcy hotter to see him like this because of her.

"Clint." She moaned, she was so close; she just needed a little more. "Please…" He seemed to understand the unspoken request, and one of his hands snaked down to where they were joined as the other went by the side of her head to give him enough of an angle to pump faster into her. She met him, happily. Her hands raking across his back, neck and chest, grabbing every inch of him while his fingertips worked magic as she felt herself pulse around him.

He must have felt it too, because a groan came from his mouth a second later and after a few more, slightly slower and deeper thrusts, he stilled.

"Fuck Darcy." He breathed into her neck. "Fuck." She smiled in bliss at his inability to say anything else, knowing that she felt the same; her hands continued to run over his shoulders that were covered in a sheen of sweat. She could feel her body was damp and sticky from their activities as well, but she couldn't care. Fuck, she thought to herself; that was beyond incredible. She didn't want to leave, not wanting this to be over.

His tremors of aftershock slowly subsided, and he rolled to the side of the bed. She felt empty when he moved away, but their legs were still tangled together, and his arms wrapped around her waist. Apparently, he didn't want her to leave either.

"This is right." Clint muttered to her, his eyes bright in the dim room, searching hers as he stroked her loose hair away from her face and behind her ear. He briefly stopped to cover them both in the covers of his bed and then went back to caressing her face lightly.

"That was… Wow…" She repeated her words from their kiss earlier as she gave him a light peck on the lips, and his eyes closed. He looked as tired as she felt, but she couldn't shut her eyes. Just like she couldn't stop the smile that took over her face. She watched him as his breathing slowed, and he drifted off to sleep. He looked so much younger.

Darcy turned and looked up at the ceiling. She noticed the small glow in the dark stars that were dotted over the ceiling. She shook her head in disbelief that Clint actually had them; he was so adorably cute and dorky. Adorkable.

Yeah, she thought to herself as she fell asleep with the sound of his breathing next to her; she felt perfectly content right here, right now.

Xxxxxx

Thank you all again, I hope you enjoyed reading.

Please let me know what you think by leaving a review.

Charlie


	9. Chapter 9

Breathe

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Xxxxxx

1990chance – Hi! I'm so glad you liked the last chapter; it's so awesome to talk to someone who loves the fandom as much as I do! Thank you for the great review and I look forward to speaking with you more!

SleepySandy – You can have Loki if I can have Clint! I like Loki, the more I write about him, the more I like him. I love the Loki/Darcy fics out there so I have a soft spot for him as well. I hope you like where the story is going, it's certainly not plain sailing from now on!

Sxithor – I'd love to know what felt stagnant for you so I can go back and improve on it, I did get the feeling that Darcy's back and forth emotions make the last chapter seem difficult to keep flowing, please let me know as I hate to disappoint! I hope this chapter makes up for the let down!

Tuuli – Again, I'm gonna send you a PM about you're AMAZING review, I seriously love you, you're like to sun to my Icarus, only without the whole wings burning and falling to my death thing... anyway, you are awesome and I can't thank you enough for you continued support and love of my story!

Irondon69 – I'm glad you're 'luuuurving' Darcy! I relate to her as well, I just hope she's in the next Thor movie as it's still unsure... I read 50 Shades, I don't think that's the same path I'm going to take with this story so sorry to let you down! I hope you enjoy this next chapter and I wish you luck in finding a gentlemanly man, Lord knows there aren't many out there.

Katie-Kakes97 – Watching the movie for the fourth time is awesome; I've seen it four times so I speak the truth! After three you think you know the story and everything, but the fourth time I picked up on a few little things that totally made me randomly laugh out loud in the cinema. Have you tried looking on Achieve of our own for more stories? I recently discovered it and it's got a lot of work that people don't publish on , it's worth google-ing. I hope you enjoy this chapter and thanks for your lovely comment, I really appreciate hearing from other fans like me!

Leighta Greenleaf – I agree, Clint is totally amazing, I hope he doesn't disappoint in this next chapter! Thanks for the review, it made me smile.

Patpat – Thank you for your awesome review, I'm so happy you enjoyed reading it. I was really worried about the whole Loki/Darcy scene as I didn't want it to seem too random or forced but the response I've had has been amazing! I like your line of thinking with Loki, but at this point I think he is so broken, he's been lost for so long that I just want things to start getting better for him!

Kritters03 – Thank you for your comment, I hope you enjoy the next one ;-)

Vamppirre – Wow, you have no idea how much of a compliment that is to me! Thank you so much! I'm sure you didn't mean to compare me to Joss Whedon or anything but that's totally how I took your review. Thank you for reading and the huge ego boost, I hope you like this chapter as well.

Mercuryfire – I don't know where the idea of Clint having the glow-in-the-dark starts came from, it just seemed like a really sweet thing that gives him character more of a grounded history. Thanks for the review and I hope you like the update!

BAD HERO – Thank you *accepts the cake* is this strawberry? I'm so glad you love the story and thank you again for your comments every chapter, I really love reading them.

Mushroomking98 – Thank you! I'm so happy you thought they had good chemistry! I was panicking when I published the last chapter that everyone would be like WTF? when I started an odd friendship between Loki and Darcy.

Booklover9477 – You are a rock star! Seriously, you're reviews always make my day. I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I did writing it! You totally inspire me to sit down and write even if I have other stuff to do!

Rammy2010 – I'm glad you liked both parts of the chapter, Loki and Darcy certainly do have a lot in common, don't they? Thanks for your review, I can't tell you how happy it makes me to hear your liking my story!

Snowspell – I love the glow-in-the-dark-stars, I don't know why but it felt very... him. His arms are insanely hot! If I ever met Jeremy Renner then I will hug his arm and never let go! Like a monkey climbing a tree or something. I love Darcy, I think she's such a complex yet loveable characters and I think we can all relate to her and aspire to have more Darcy-like qualities in our lives. I'm so glad you can relate to her, that was obviously an awkward situation for you but it's awesome you responded that way with that girl, you're optimism is inspiring and that's exactly how Darcy feels.

Alexceasar – thanks! I'm glad you're liking Darcy and S.H.I.E.L.D are sneaky bastards, she'll find out one day...

Sara47Q – Glad you like my story! Thanks for the lovely review, I love it when you find a new multi-chapter fic, I hope you like the next chapter.

Selene Illusinia – Loki has a way of knowing things, that's for sure. Thank you for another lovely review! I love each and every one you send, they mean so much to me!

Dhauren – Yes! I'm glad you liked selfish-ish Jane, I definitely got that vibe from her in the movie, exspecially towards Darcy, although I think Jane is a bit more oblivious to the world than selfish, but it comes across that way. Can I just take this moment to say how much I love you're story 'Will you go out with my big, green alter-ego' seriously; you are like a freakin' goddess when it comes to Darcy! I've bookmarked you and check EVERY day to see if you've updated any of your stories, I'm such a fangirl for you. You inspire me to write more, so you telling me how much you like MY story... wow! I love Darcy/Bruce and you are totally the reason!

Bugalouie – Thank you for the review, I hope you like this one as well.

Lenetra – Clint is very understand, he'd obviously still beating himself up over the whole mind-control thing and thus hates Loki but he's likes Darcy more ;-) which means, yes, he'll have to seriously think about the secret he has about her past. I love the empath theory, I want to keep Darcy out of the superpower league but she certainly relates to people a lot more than a normal person, this is a quality her father defiantly ingrained into her at a young age. I love the foreshadowing, it's one of my favourite things, teasing people about the future... I'm glad you liked the scene between Darcy and Fury, I always thought Fury in the movies was too big for his boots, he always came in and bossed people around and they just let him! Darcy would not be cool with that. Anyway, sorry to ramble, thank you for your amazing review! I really loved reading and re-reading it so I cannot thank you enough, I just hope this next chapter doesn't let you down!

Mylove24 – Thanks again for another lovely review, they mean so much to me and I love hearing your comments on each new chapter as the story progresses. I hope you enjoy this one as well!

Rebecca Taylor – I'm gonna take your review as a compliment and thank you, I know it takes a lot of effort to click that button and show appreciation when there are so many other fics out there you could be reading! Thanks again and I'm glad you're still reading my story.

Maddsox – It's great to hear your loving my story, I'm totally with you on the whole Clint obsession thing lol. I hope you enjoy this chapter and it doesn't let the story down! Thank you for your review, I can't tell you how much I really appreciate them.

Xxxxxx

Now I'll stop the A/N now but I just have one last thing to say, both me and my Beta are on vacation this week, I won't be back in England until the 24th so you won't be getting the next chapter until the 25th at the earliest! I'm so sorry but I hope this chapter can satisfy you until then!

Anyway, now onto the story, I hope you all enjoy reading it!

Xxxxxx

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Chapter 9

Waking up the next morning, Darcy felt blissfully sore. She shifted her weight in the unfamiliar bed and felt an arm wrapped around her waist. Last night came back to her, bringing a huge grin to her face, and she let out a sigh of happiness.

She looked down at the arm that held her so securely, and she began to run her fingers up his. She drew little circles on the back of his hand and slowly traced her way up to his wrist. That's when she saw them. Angry scars. Not as bad as the ones on his ankles but obviously from being restrained against his will. Her fingers had stopped moving now, and she held her breath as if she had done something wrong. She twisted her upper body around and looked at Clint's sleeping face. She let out a breath, glad he hadn't caught her prying fingers.

He looked so peaceful; the lines that usually ran across his forehead were gone, and his mouth was slightly agape, completely relaxed. Darcy felt her smile grow wider as she studied his features. His strong nose, his cute small ears and his square jaw, which was covered in a fine layer of stubble, Darcy found this very sexy and begged her to rub her cheek against it. She couldn't decide which her favorite part was. She ran a finger lightly down his nose and tapped the end with amusement. She looked up to find his eyes now open and staring at her like she was the funniest thing he had ever seen.

"Enjoying yourself?" He asked quietly, his voice husky and it caused her to squirm in the bed at the memories of last night.

"Immensely." Darcy turned fully in his arms so she was looking directly at him. She angled her head slightly to capture his lips and then rested back onto his pillows. "So, I never know at what point to bring this up, but I think we need to establish something." She felt his whole body tense and bit her lower lip, trying very hard to keep a straight face as her hand snaked out from between them, walking up his bare chest like a tiny persons legs. "Hmm… I can't decide if I should nickname your penis 'Clinton Junior' or 'The Little Hawk'…" Darcy grinned widely as his eyes went wide then narrowed. His jaw clenched, and she couldn't stop herself from giggling out loud.

Clint grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her closer to him. "Little?" He raised an eyebrow as he guided her trapped hand back under the sheets to emphasis his point. He let go and gave Darcy a fiery kiss.

"Fine, Clinton Junior it is." Darcy snickered and stretched out in the bed. She watched as his eyes caught focus on certain parts of her anatomy as she stretched. It only caused her to laugh more when he blushed, having been caught staring. "It's fine. I know they're nice." She joked.

"Hmm… They're perfect." He muttered, lowing his head to place a light kisses on her collar bone while his hands came up and cupped her breasts.

Darcy was surprised at how sensitive and responsive her nipples were as his rough thumbs trailed over them, giving each one a slight pinch that caused them to harden and her stomach to knot. "Stop," She told him as her body contradicted her words by arching her back more into his hands. "I have to pee, and we have a briefing in…" Darcy said, looking over at the clock on her side of the bed. "Oh God, twenty minutes!" She said, not really caring what the time was but knowing that would happen if he continued. She already wasn't wearing underwear, and he was too tempting. That was a deadly combination for her.

Clint groaned and moved back up to lay next to her on his back for a few minutes. His calloused hand stroked her arm, while she curled up into the side of his body, resting her head on his chest. They were wasting time, but he was just so comfy and hot next to her. She could hear his heart beating; it was so soothing that she never wanted to move. But all good things must end, she thought, rolling away from him, she finally decided to get up. Well, her bladder had more of a say then she did. Clint followed her lead and got out of the bed. When she stood up, she felt the soreness in her thighs hit her full force but didn't mind, it just cemented what had happened last night was really real. She scurried into the attached bathroom and sorted herself out, not chancing a look in the mirror as she did.

His bathroom was extremely tidy. Just the basics and a tub of hair gel. She smirked and gave a cheeky glance to the door. Picking up his toothbrush, she quickly gave her mouth a once over and rinsed it before putting it back in the holder.

She walked back into his bedroom feeling a bit more presentable and began to hunt around, trying to find her underwear and shorts, quickly pulling them on. She was momentarily distracted by Clint's naked butt as he crossed the room to the bathroom.

"Umm…" She groaned, mainly to herself. "Oh, I used your toothbrush!" She called out to him. He peered out from behind the half closed door with a scowl on his face but a twinkle in his eyes.

"Really? However am I going to punish you…?" He tapped the offending object over his pouting lips and smirked.

"You're an imaginative person. I'm sure you can think of something, Agent Barton." Darcy stood, her hands on her covered hips, her top half still bare. "Where's my bra?" She asked, not remembering where he threw it last night.

"Living room." He called from the bathroom. Darcy began to open the handle to his bedroom door when she was struck with a thought.

"You don't share this apartment with anyone do you?" She'd die if she opened the door and another agent was eating breakfast getting a free ticket to a good show.

She heard him laugh. "No, agents like me have their own private quarters."

Agents like him? She pondered, one of her eyebrows quirking up. Now he was just being cocky… She crossed an arm over her chest just in case and crept out into the living room and quickly spotted her bra and hoodie. Her hoodie was behind the TV, how'd that happen?

She was glad no one had seen her wearing these clothes yesterday; so she didn't have to come up with any excuses. Her stomach rumbled, but she would have to ignore that as Clint came out of his room, fully dressed his usual black coloured clothes. This time wearing a tight t-shirt and very nicely fitting jeans. Darcy would feel self-conscience about her scruffy appearance except for the fact that she had just had amazing sex the night before with this remarkable man.

"Coffee?" He offered, picking a broken mug off the kitchen floor, an amused look on his face from the memory of how the offending object got smashed.

Darcy remembered shoving all his stuff off the counter last night in a fit of lust. She didn't care though; he certainly enjoyed it then and he wasn't complaining now. "I don't think we have time for coffee." She said, the clock on his wall told her they only had 5 minutes to get to Level 16 where the meeting room is located.

"Well, one of us will have to be late. We can't walk in together looking guilty, unless you want to…?" Clint asked his forehead crinkling up in that way she loved.

"I'll be late." She answered a little too quickly. "Er… Can't have one of S.H.I.E.L.D's top agents being tardy." Darcy said, trying to ignore how his face fell when she basically said she didn't want to go public, at least not yet. She walked over to him and gave him a lingering kiss. "Plus I need coffee." Clint responded by giving her a hard kiss, his arms beginning to wind around her body and pull her close when there was a banging at the door.

"Barton, hurry up. You're lights are still on so I know you're in there, and the meeting is in 3 minutes!" It was Natasha. Darcy's eyes went wide, and Clint moved his lips close to her ear.

"Hide in my room, come out in 70 seconds." Darcy nodded, ignoring how specific that time frame was and giving him another searing kiss. She turned to leave but he grabbed her wrist. "Have dinner with me tonight. I'll cook." He looked kind of desperate, she wanted to smooth out every worried wrinkle on his face, but she could only smile and nod before quietly sneaking into his room and closing the door behind her. She hid at the side of the door so her feet weren't shadowed under the door edge, and if Natasha decided to open it, then she was hidden in the gap between it and the wall.

She heard the front door open and Natasha's voice.

"What the hell happened here?" She obviously saw the broken kitchen utensils scattered on the floor. Darcy's eyes opened in horror. Her shoes were still in the kitchen. She couldn't remember where exactly but hoped they were behind the counter where no one by the front door could see them.

"I was just blowing off some steam." Darcy heard him reply, he had his stern Agent Barton voice on. The front door soon closed, but she decided to count the remaining 53 seconds still hiding here. Running her hands through her hair, she tried to make it look less like she just had crazy-good-sex-last-night bed-head. Which, she totally did.

Xxxxxx

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As she walked into the meeting room several pairs and a single eye glared at her. "Sorry guys!" She said, knowing her cheerful tone didn't sound very apologetic.

A millisecond later, to Darcy's shock, Dr Banner walked in behind her. "Sorry guys." He said with an awkward crooked smile, his words an eerie echo of hers. She knew why she was late, so why was he? She smirked as he shuffled around the room, trying to find an empty seat. There were only two left, one next to Clint and one next to Natasha. Darcy watched in fascination as Bruce walked past the empty one by Black Widow and sat next to Hawkeye uncomfortably. There was a lot more going on there that Darcy was just dying to find out about. But first, there was coffee and pastries on a table by the door. Score! She thought as she poured a cup and placed a croissant into her mouth to hold while she put milk and sugar into a mug with the hot dark liquid.

"Would you like to take a seat, Miss Lewis?" Director Fury asked her.

"Would you like to return my iPod? Nope, didn't think so." She countered, while chewing a mouthful of buttery goodness. She started following the same route the good doctor took before plopping herself into the chair next to the deadly red headed assassin and slouching back. No way was she going to be caught looking as uncomfortable as Bruce was. It was a dead giveaway of naughty sexy times.

Fury just sighed at Darcy's behavior, but didn't say anything. Agent Coulson gave a small cough and stood up, beginning to speak.

"Loki has agreed to answer our questions." Darcy no longer felt like slouching, she shifted in her chair and sat perfectly upright.

There was a chorus of "What's?" and "Why's?" around the table, Darcy's personal favorite was Tony saying "It's a trap!" which earned him a glare from Fury.

Darcy was very quiet as she looked around the table. Fury, Coulson and Romanoff must have already known, because they didn't give anything away, whereas rest of the room was split fairly evenly into three reactions. Barton, Hill and Selvig were all openly furious, Tony, Pepper, Steve and Jane were confused, while herself and Bruce remained awkwardly silent.

Thor was obviously the odd one out who looked like a happy puppy that just got told he was going for walkies, but Darcy couldn't blame him. Loki was his brother, and he wanted things to be like before between them, this was the best news he could have heard.

"I don't get it, why now?" Jane asked.

"This isn't a question of 'why now'. This is a trick. He's playing us." Barton announced. Darcy frowned. She guessed he might have accepted her befriending Loki but not the rest of S.H.I.E.L.D. suddenly making nice and believing what he told them.

"So far, all the information he has given us has proven to be solid." Coulson stated. Darcy looked at Fury; he was sitting back in his chair, hands laced in front of his chin. He was watching them, waiting to see what decision they came to on their own before stepping in. Darcy really admired his leadership technique; it probably isn't easy being in charge of a secret organization AND The Avengers. That many egos in one room would be a daunting task for anyone.

"Luring us into a false sense of security maybe?" Tony suggested.

"We've given him terms and conditions; he has agreed to all of them without question." Romanoff explained, Darcy picked up the hint of disgust in her voice. Darcy knew what category she could put her in…

"Like what? No chocolate for breakfast, be back before midnight, oh and don't kill anyone!" Barton yelled. He stood up, pushing his chair so hard it fell to the floor behind him. Darcy watched as he walked over to a corner of the room, his back faced towards the rest of them.

"I don't like this anymore than you, Agent Barton, but if he is willing, he's too powerful an asset to ignore." Coulson spoke up, exerting his authority.

Darcy looked down at her hands in her lap. This was her fault. Before, there was a clear cut line where things were either black or white. She spent 10 minutes with him and suddenly there were splotches of grey, and no one knew where they stood anymore. Especially her.

"What kind of conditions are we talking about?" Bruce asked, trying to come at this from a different angle.

"He will remain in the holding cell but will be provided with some luxuries such as books and a bed. He will also be allowed out on special missions when it is required but only under extreme supervision." Coulson read off a sheet in front of him.

"Can you really supervise someone like him?" Agent Hill asked, more out of curiosity then bitterness. Darcy reminded herself that Maria Hill had never seen Loki in battle. She had never been on the other end of his insane smile.

"I can." Thor added eagerly.

"Forgive me, honey, but you're not exactly impartial." Jane told him, resting her hand on his upper arm.

"What kind of information has he given us already?" Steve asked.

"He went over the battle schematics planned with the Chitauri, not all of them sent through the portal were to fight. There were around twenty that came through whose sole purpose was to get underground and form a back-up team, starting with a power source that is still keeping them alive."

"I knew it was too convenient!" Tony exclaimed.

"Too convenient? You almost died! How is that convenient?" Pepper practically cried back at him.

"Anyway," Phil tried to regain control over the subject at hand. "They are lying low and will strike when we least expect it if the main attack failed." Coulson informed them. He tossed around some pieces of paper to each person around the table. "He showed us where they most likely were hiding, and we started to observe the base last night with the help of Doctors Foster and Selvig." That's where they were! Darcy thought to herself. "He was right; we have so far detected fourteen beings hiding there." Darcy looked at the paper that was put in front of her. She wasn't brilliant at map reading, but it was easy to see where they were taking refuge, an old, unused control room underneath City Hall. Fuck.

"What are we going to do about them?" Tony asked.

"That's where you come in. We need this to be discreet. We're currently mapping out a safe route to get you guys in and out without anyone above finding out. We don't want to cause panic so soon after that last attack." Coulson explained. "Loki has informed us that this secondary attack is scheduled to take place approximately three weeks after the initial attack, until then, the Chitauri are collecting information about Earth that they could use against us."

"Three weeks?" Pepper asked, Darcy could see her holding Tony's hand, her face full of worry.

"Plenty of time to get more information and find the best way to destroy that power source without anyone getting hurt." Coulson reassured her. "That's why we need you Dr Selvig. You have experience with their technology; can you help Doctors Foster and Banner?" Erik nodded, but his fists were still clenched on the table, hunched over the paper Agent Coulson had handed out. "So for the time being, we are just going to continue like everything is fine on the surface, including doing some interviews with the media." There was a collective groan from The Avengers which would usually made Darcy laugh.

"I can be of some help, you know?" Tony volunteered, offended that Coulson hadn't asked him already. "If there's a science club happening, then I don't wanna be left out." Darcy suddenly had the mental image of Tony, Bruce, Jane and Erik all putting their hands in the middle of a huddle and yelling 'Science Forever' on the count of three. She hid her smirk behind her mug as she took a sip. Maybe they could make a secret handshake…

"Fine. Just don't antagonize anyone." Coulson gave Tony a pointed look.

Oh, shit. Darcy would be the one running around the lab trying to control them all, making notes and getting whatever they needed. Her job had just doubled in size now that Bruce and Tony wanted to join the team.

"Hang on, no one answered my question. Why now? What changed Loki's mind?" Jane asked, her eyes wide and innocent, like a doe. Holy Shit! Jane Doe! How did she never put that together before? Darcy shook her head slightly, returning to the room that she really didn't want to be in anymore. She didn't want the looks of disproval when they found out she might have been Loki's turning point.

"Someone convinced him he deserved a second chance." Fury finally spoke. "Now, we're not waiting three weeks to take these bastards out. I want you all on constant alert; so when we figure out how to destroy that power source, then you're all ready to go." There were various nods from around the table.

"What happened to that staff thingy?" Darcy suddenly found herself thinking and saying out loud. She blushed and stuttered. "I mean, didn't you use that last time to stop the portal, right? Why can't we use it again?"

"There are side effects." Dr Banner answered. "It's incredibly unstable, and no one knows exactly how it works. Spending too much time around that thing is dangerous. It's safer kept away from the public."

"Oh." Well if someone knew about 'instable and dangerous' then it was definitely Bruce, Darcy mused.

"Don't worry Darce; you can help me, Tony, Dr Banner and Erik figure out how to use elements of it to create a new, safe device to destroy their power source." Jane comforted her. Darcy didn't like this. She had a sinking feeling in her stomach that felt like impending doom, but was it from her job, her sanity or the world? Those were pretty scary risks.

"Brilliant, let's move on, shall we?" Agent Coulson said. "Now, I've invited our Press Officer to this meeting so she can work on all of your public images." He explained, grabbing the pieces of paper with the Chitauri secret schematics from everyone and closing them in his folder before opening the door and letting a 30 something year old woman with blonde wavy hair into the room. She was average sized, healthy, Darcy thought, curvy and very beautiful. She smiled warmly at everyone, and Coulson motioned for her to take his seat around the table, choosing to stand by the door instead.

Darcy took this moment to look over in concern at Clint. He was still in the corner but facing them now, she watched as his eyes scanned everything, accessing everyone. He was in Hawkeye mode, and it was hot. His arms were crossed over his chest, and Darcy couldn't help but think what was under his shirt. She took another sip of coffee to distract herself from him.

"Hello, I'm Becky. I've met a couple of you already, but I'm really excited about getting you guys out there into the public's view." She sounded genuine, Darcy liked her already. She seemed like a normal person with a crazy job, but she looked like she could handle it. "First off, I need to get an idea of images for all of you." She unfolded a tablet and placed it on the table.

Tony perked up. "Is that one of mine?" He asked, clearly knowing the answer. Pepper rolled her eyes at his smug face.

"Only the best, Mr Stark." Becky said with a smile. She tapped on a picture of Ironman on the screen, and Darcy watched as it opened and expanded with various notations about Tony and Ironman. They were too tiny and far away for her to read, but it certainly looked like Becky had done her research. "You're relatively easy to market, you already have your own fan base and everyone knows what you're like, what they don't know is why you would join a team like this when you're usually a lone ranger type." Tony opened his mouth to protest, but she didn't give him a chance. "It can be complete crap, I don't mind, as long as it's believable." That shut Tony's mouth. Oh, Darcy REALLY liked this woman. "Take your time, but I need a reason I can work with by this afternoon, preferably one people can relate to and not 'because you were bored and wanted to play with your friends'. I'm going to make you the 'Father-Figure' of the group so keep that in mind."

"I can help him with that." Pepper chipped in, smiling at the other woman before giving a stunned Tony a kiss on the cheek.

"Mr Rogers, you are obviously the 'Leader' and you are easy to market as well. You've got the whole clean-cut American Boy thing so mothers will love you; plus the well-known history from the second World War has done all the work for me in terms of public approval." Steve blushed at her words, instantly proving the 'All American Boy Scout' type to anyone who doubted it.

"Ms Romanoff, I'm trying my hardest to steer away from the 'hot-chick' label that has already been placed on you, but I'm going to need something else to work with. So far the only information I have to make public is your code name and your image." Becky explained, hoping to get Natasha to open up something constructive that she could use.

Natasha just stared blankly at her, using her mean face that could intimidate anyone, and by the way Becky shifted uncomfortably and looked over at Agent Coulson, it was working. "I don't know what you want me to say." Natasha responded.

"How about the kick-ass chick?" Darcy spoke up, hoping to help Natasha from just becoming a sex symbol. "Like Buffy or Princess Leia or Lara Croft?"

Becky nodded and tapped on the screen of her tablet. "Perfect. The strong, defiant woman who doesn't need a man to protect her. Women will want to be like you and men will want a woman like you. That's great. Who are you?"

"I'm… I'm Darcy. I just staple things. Sometimes I get to use the hole punch." She explained, not really knowing what her job title was but happy to fall into the background.

"Hmmm…" Becky was musing over something when she moved onto the next person. "Dr Banner, you might be the hardest to market, your approval rating is pretty low at the moment. No one really knows who or what you are… I'm thinking of making you 'The Shy One' of the group." There was some laughter around the table.

"That will not be difficult." Thor joked, giving a good natured laugh that always made Darcy smile. Seriously, sometimes she wished she could pay Thor to just walk around with her and laugh at all her jokes because his chortle was that awesome.

"Thor," Becky looked over at him. "You're from another realm, that's a little bit too out there for the average American; so my plan is to make you the 'Baby' of the group. Still coming to grips with Earth and human type things. You need to be cute and lovable, okay?" Jane rubbed his broad shoulder and smiled at him. Thor smiled back at her then turned to Becky.

"I can be satisfactory with that." Darcy didn't think he'd have any problem with that stereotype; after all, he answered a phone yesterday then immediately demanded that the tiny man inside it show himself.

"Lastly, we have Agent Barton. Not a lot is known about you yet, and we need an idol. If you're in a relationship, keep it private because I need you to be the group's 'Heart Throb'." There was a snigger around the table, and it took a moment for Darcy to realize it came from her. Shit, she needed to think fast.

"I'm sorry; it just sounds like you're trying to make them into a boy band or something."

Becky gave her a kind smile. "No, you're exactly right Darcy. It's an old formula, but it works. And Agent Barton is the perfect person for the pin up boy. He's good looking, strong; just a normal guy in an unusual line of work but with a slight bad boy edge that makes him mysterious." She looked over at Clint and continued. "You'll be relatable and obtainable. I want girls wearing t-shirts with your face on them, I want men dressing like you, I want women wanting you."

"Why can't I have that one?" Tony interrupted from the other side of the table.

"You're in a long term public relationship, and you're too old." Becky replied, her gaze not leaving Agent Barton's face who was still in the corner. Darcy could see his arms clenching. He wasn't happy with this, but it was his job to agree and she knew he would.

"Agent Barton, are you up for this?" Director Fury asked, effectively giving him no choice.

"Of course, Sir."

"Good," Becky gave a relieved sigh. "We'll start interview practice this afternoon in Meeting Room 2. Thank you." She closed her tablet, got up from her chair and left the room.

So the group now had The Leader, The Father-Figure, The Shy One, A Baby type, A Bas-Ass Chick and the all-important Heart Throb. Darcy couldn't help but feel sorry for the team. This was not what they signed on for, well, maybe Tony, but no one else cared about public opinion ratings or image. She looked around the table, and everyone seemed quite shell-shocked. Darcy suddenly felt very awkward. She looked over at Clint, he looked furious. This certainly wasn't his morning. She flashed him a bright smile and mouthed at him.

'Are you okay?'

He smiled back at her and mimed the word 'Later', giving her a quick wink. Darcy suddenly remembered their plans for dinner. She would certainly have to bring her A-Game to get him in the mood, especially after the afternoon of 'Interview Practice' that was sure to be torture for him.

The meeting went on for what felt like hours. It involved talking more about the ideas Bruce, Tony, Jane and Erik had already talked about, converting the scepter and destroying the Chitauri power station. Darcy took it upon herself to make notes about everything they were discussing, trying to make herself seem useful. Although, she swore Tony was making up some of the words they were throwing around.

Fury went on to talk about the possible relocation of The Avengers when Pepper and Tony announced they were planning on renovating the upper floors of Stark Tower that got wrecked into a sort of 'Avenger's Haven'. Mainly because he hated being underground, but mostly because his employees were now scared to work up that high in case of another alien attack.

The meeting finished on that cheery note, and they all began to pack up their things and were heading out the door when Agent Romanoff caught Darcy by the arm. Darcy was shocked and quickly twisted her wrist and elbow in a way that caused Natasha to lose her grip.

"Sorry!" Darcy apologized when she realized it was Natasha and not a random stranger.

"That's alright, you have good reflexes." Darcy couldn't help but think Natasha was just being nice and let go of her arm out of sympathy. After all, she was scary good at any kind of combat you could think of. Darcy began to wonder if there was anything she wasn't amazing at.

"Are you good at drawing? I bet you're good at art." Natasha looked at Darcy with confusion but decided to answer; although, she didn't understand where the random question came from.

"I'm terrible at drawing. Stick figures and basic shapes are as good as it gets." Wow, something Agent Romanoff wasn't good at. It surprised Darcy that she had a weakness, not that the inability to draw a realistic cat was a weakness. "I just thought I'd remind you that I'm giving you the rest of your weapons training today."

Darcy had almost forgotten. "Cool, what time do you want to meet up, because I need to get some more clothes." She looked down at her baggy hoodie, knowing she was only wearing a bra underneath, and she was running out of clean clothes back in her room.

"Go to Level 7. There are more clothes shops there then Level 6. Just remember to take your ID card, and I'll meet you in the weapons room in an hour?" Darcy needed a list of every floor and what each had on it. It must be so easy to get confused in this place, thankfully she hasn't gotten lost yet.

"If I pass this, can I get my taser back?" Darcy asked hopefully, putting her hands together in fake prayer. She knew she lost all personal firearm privileges the second S.H.I.E.L.D took over Jane's investigating in New Mexico, something about actually needing a licence to carry a concealed weapon? But she would certainly feel a lot less useless in a building full of government agents if she had some kind defensive object nearby that she knew how to use.

"I'll see what I can do." The taller agent cracked a tiny smile before heading in a different direction.

Score! That was the second time she'd made Natasha smile at her jokes.

Darcy had to hurry; she only had a short time to get some new clothes for practice and her hot date tonight! She felt almost giddy at her life. This was way cooler than making coffee for Jane and Erik as they talked nonsense in the middle of nowhere and worth so much more than 6 college credits.

Xxxxxx

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I hope you enjoyed it! Thank you all so much for reading, and I really appreciate reviews so if you want to take a moment out of your day, then please press the little blue button and let me know what you think!

Thanks again,

Charlie


	10. Chapter 10

Breathe

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Xxxxxx

TuuliSenka – Again, you are such an amazing person, you're reviews mean so much to me and I'm honoured you spend so much time and care when writing them, it's such a great reward to see light up my inbox. I'll send you a PM so keep your eyes open for it. I cannot stress enough to everyone how brilliant you are! Thank you and I hope you like this chapter and it answers some of your questions.

MiraResQNU – Wow, you read all that in less than a day? I can't say I haven't done that before though lol. Thank you for your lovely comments, I'm always worried about characterizations and if I'm portraying Darcy right, and pace is my biggest fear, sometimes I think I'm taking this story waaay too slow, then I read an awesome review like yours and it gives me the confidence to keep going and not worry. Anyway, I ramble. William Lewis is completely made up, Darcy isn't even in the comics so I had a lot of freedom with her history. I hope you enjoy this update and thank you so much for taking the time to review!

Red Writer – I agree! Thank you for the comments and hope this chapter doesn't disappoint!

Starduct0808 – Well I'm not sure if this chapter will answer any question yet, maybe it'll lead to more but I won't give anything away. Thank you for your review, I really appirciate them and I hope you like this new chapter.

1990chance – Hello! I hope this gives you some more temporary relief to the Clint/Darcy addiction, believe me, I understand! Thanks again for reviewing, I can't begin to describe the feeling I get knowing that I have such loyal and kind fans!

Snowspell – Thanks for your lovely comments, I like your way of thinking about Natasha and Bruce, but you'll have to read to find out more ;-)

LadyMalys – Hello, it's nice to have another Lady around lol. I hope you enjoy this chapter and don't worry, there will be plenty of smut ahead in this story ;-)

Anigen – I love you. Your mind is awesome and I want to snuggle up with your review and cuddle it all night! I know that's weird, but I was just so happy when I read your comments. Thank you and I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Lwolf – Thanks for your review, and welcome to my crazy story, I hope you like the update and it doesn't disappoint.

Katie-Kakes97 – Thanks! I'm so glad you loved it, I only hope this new chapter doesn't let you down!

Dhauren – Again, thank you for your lovely review, you made my day, you have no idea what it means coming from you, seriously, if other people read these author's notes, then GO CHECK OUT THIS WOMANS STORIES!

Patpat – Sorry to keep you waiting so long, but I hope you enjoy this chapter as much as I did writing it. Thank you again for another kind review.

Little miss michelle – Thank you!

Booklover9477 – I think weird morning after scenes are overdone, an opinion I share with Darcy who just doesn't care about them being awkward and just goes with it lol. I'm glad you picked up on the Bruce thing, he definitely took some of the heat off of Darcy. Thank you for the lovely review and I had an amazing holiday in New York, not that it was much of a holiday, I spend hours and hours walking around in 100 degree heat and humidity! Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter, lots of lovely plot still to come!

Alexceasar – Thanks! I try my best. Hope you like this chapter.

TarynWulf – I'm so glad you found it fun to read, when I started writing this I honestly never meant to make it a funny as this, but the overwlehming comments on how people were litrally laughing out loud at Darcy's inner monologue and stuff, I couldn't let you guys down! Thanks for the best wishes as well, I had a great time, I'm already planning my next visit to NYC. I hope this chapter doesn't let you down and thanks again for the lovely review, I can't tell you how nice it is to see your name pop up in my inbox.

Lenetra – Wow, everyone seems to have a love/hate thing with Becky! I totally didn't mean for that to happen but everyone seems to be on completely opposite sides. Thanks for the amazing review, I'm so glad you're enjoying the little things here and there that I'm going for. I hope you like this next chapter and sorry for the long wait!

Mylove24 - ;-) maybe you'll find out why Bruce was late… later. Sorry, that was lame. I'm so happy you like my last chapter and thanks for another lovely review. The fate of Darcy's iPod is still undecided. Enjoy!

Selene Illusinia – I know right! Anyway, I hope you like this chapter and thank you for another review, I can't thank you enough for all the lovely comments you make. I love them!

BAD HERO – Sorry about the long A/N's, but this is the only chance I get to thank everyone, PM everyone takes waaay too long and I really do appreciate each and every one of your reviews. Anyway, I'd like to thank you for the continued support you've given me, I completely agree with the whole press thing diminishing them, but that's the society we live in and S.H.I.E.L.D are aware of that and playing it to their advantage. After all, you catch more flies with honey ;-) I hope you enjoy this next chapter and it doesn't disappoint!

Rebeeca Taylor – Thank you again for letting me know how much you enjoy my story, I love hearing from you!

MsAdhara – I love Darcy's snarky wit, and I'm so glad you do too! I'm worried that half her weird lines will go over people's heads but I guess not! Thank you for brightening my day with your comments.

Kritters03 – Sorry for the long update but I hope this chapter makes up for it! Thank you for your review!

Mushroomking98 – Thanks for the holiday wishes! I had an amazing time but am glad to be home so I can upload this chatper! I hope you enjoy it and it was worth the wait! Thanks again for your constant reviews, they are such a great reward for my writing!

Rammy2010 – I agree, we all need a little Hawkeye in our morning coffee to help us get through the day, thankfully we have Tumblr and to help ;-) Thanks for the review and I hope this new chapter doesn't disappoint!

Xxxxxx

Sorry for the lon AN but I'd like to give one final shout out to my amazing Beta, Sandra, who's constant love and support of my work gives me the drive to make this the best it can be. Cheesy I know, but she totally deserves the reviews more than I do so THANK YOU! And if anyone is a huge Loki fan than check out her work, I hope she doesn't mind me giving out her penname but search SleepySandy and you will not be disappointed! What We Fear is a great peek into Loki's head and I wholly recommend it!

Anyway, I don't own Avengers, although William Lewis is of my own design although he's not actually appeared in this story… yet…

Enjoy!

Xxxxxx

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Chapter 10

Training went very well, and Darcy was surprised at how quickly she picked up everything from assembling to firing a gun. She hit the center more times than not, and she didn't even falter when Director Fury popped in because he was just passing by and wondered how she was getting on. Darcy credited her skill to all the times she and her dad played laser tag when she was growing up, but Natasha called her a natural and even Fury seemed impressed; although, she could never quite tell with him. The whole one eye thing threw her off.

He wasn't so impressed, however, whenever Darcy did a little victory dance after she'd hit the target's chest or head or when she began to ask how he could fire a gun without any depth perception.

"I'm just saying, stereopsis is a huge part of gun handling, I'm just worried that he might judge the aim wrong and shoot a good guy by accident!" Darcy tried to justify her questioning to Natasha after Fury left in a storm of rage that would make a normal person cringe, but Darcy wasn't normal.

"I know, but he's been doing this for a long time. I've seen him hit a cup of coffee from an agent's hand without even looking." Darcy made a mental note to not hold up any more meetings by pouring herself a caffeinated hot beverage ever again.

"Wow. That's incredible. Hey, speaking of incredible," Darcy tried to discreetly move onto another topic. "I saw the most incredible thing this morning at the meeting." She smirked at the older agent.

Agent Romanoff's expression didn't give anything away, and if Darcy didn't know better, she would have thought Natasha couldn't have cared less. "Oh, what was that?" She asked, her tone portraying less than mild curiosity. She was calling her bluff! Well, she was just going to have to push a little further.

"Just a flustered doctor trying to avoid a certain red head as if he was trying to hide something." Darcy practically sang.

Natasha shrugged as she placed the guns they were previously using back on a table against the wall and began to dismantle them. "Dr Selvig's crush on Miss Potts is not what I would consider 'incredible'."

Darcy laughed and leaned back against the table, facing her. "Come on, you know they're not who I'm talking about." Darcy gave Natasha a light-fisted nudge which earned her a fierce glare.

"Not a word." The spy said, Darcy felt a chill down her spine and realised she was taunting a killer. Smart move Darce.

"I'm good at secrets. I'm like Fort Knox." Darcy promised, feeling almost giddy with the need to hear gossip about Black Widow's love life.

"I went by his lab this morning to get an update about a project he's been working on."

"Is that it?" Darcy asked when Natasha didn't say anything else.

"No. But I'm not going to discuss that with you."

Darcy let out a groan. "Come on! You can't tease me with a bit of gossip then pull away. It's like having a tub of ice cream and being told you can only have one bite!"

Natasha raised a perfectly shaped eyebrow at her. "You are very peculiar."

"Uh! I know but that's not the point! I want to hear about you and Dr. Zen doing the nasty!" Darcy moaned like a child. Darcy watched in fascination as a slight blush appeared on Natasha's cheeks.

"Oh my gosh, you totally did it! Didn't you? What was it like? I bet he's a monster in bed, that dude is so laid back he must come out of his shell during sexy times." Darcy wiggled her eyebrows and did a little mime of passionate sex by thrusting her hips and groaning. "Boom!"

"Stop. We didn't do anything." Natasha said, quickly looking around to make sure no one else was about. "If you must know, he asked me out for coffee after the interview prep this afternoon. It's purely to discuss what happened when I used Loki's staff to shut down that portal."

Darcy squealed in response, choosing to ignore the last part of Natasha's story. "That's awesome. I totally knew you crazy kids would get together." She joked. Natasha rolled her eyes at the younger woman.

They soon finished up cleaning and tidying the weapons away, and Natasha headed to get changed into more 'appropriate' interview attire, and Darcy needed to put away all the things she brought from the Level 7 shops.

Darcy decided to hop on down to the labs when she had finished tidying up, ready to work when she noticed Jane, Erik, Tony and Bruce heading towards the elevator she just stepped out of on Level 12. She almost laughed at how dorky they all looked, talking passionately about space stuff and alien technology. She almost expected Tony and Bruce to high five at one point and yell the mantra 'Science Bros!'. Now _that_ is a Saturday morning cartoon she would pay to watch.

"Hey, where are you guys going?"

"Bruce and Tony have to do the group press thing, and we thought it was time for a break so we're going to watch as The Avengers assemble for their first interview." Jane beamed at her. Darcy could assume that Jane was more excited about seeing Thor than any of the other Avengers, but she went along with it.

"Oh, okay. What work needs to be done so I can do it before you get back?" Darcy asked, fishing her glasses out of her bag and popping them on her face. She only really needed them when she concentrated and stared at things for long periods of time, sometimes she wore them when she had a headache, but they never seemed to actually help.

"Don't worry about that! Come with us, this is too big of an opportunity to miss!" Erik Selvig invited her, he seemed quite excited about it as well. He was always very nice to her, even if he got frustrated by Darcy's lack of science knowledge. He also hated when she called it 'sciencey stuff', but she always tried to make it up with her eagerness and willingness to learn, and he respected her for that. He treated Jane and her like substitutes for the daughters he never had; although, Jane was clearly the favorite, not that she blamed them.

"I don't want you guys to get behind because I didn't organize your-"

"Nonsense," Bruce assured her. "I'll need as many friendly faces I can get to help me through this nightmare." Darcy smiled sweetly as the doctor gave her a shy crooked smile. She could totally picture him awkwardly asking Black Widow on a date. It must have been adorably uncomfortable for him. Natasha could eat him alive if she wanted to, but hey, maybe that was a turn on for him. Hell, if Darcy went that way then she totally would have made a move on the ninja assassin by now.

"Fine, but people will begin to think I don't do _anything_ soon!" Darcy exclaimed, turning on her heels and following the three doctors and billionaire genius Tony Stark into the lift.

They arrived on time, but everyone else was already there. Becky, whose hair was in a loose bun that Darcy wished she could wear and make it look as fashionable as that, if she tried it would just look messy, jumped on Tony as they walked out, beginning to brief him on something and Fury was standing next to them giving Tony a death stare for some reason Darcy would rather not know about. Jane and Erik waved at a few people, greeting Thor and Agent Coulson personally before taking their seats.

Darcy snuck into the back of the chairs that were out and set up to seem as if they were in a conference room and tried to make herself as small as possible.

She was surprised at how busy it was, nearly every chair was filled with various people she had never seen before, and there were only a couple that she recognized from walking around the hallways and having dinner in that huge canteen area. She guessed they were here to view, what Darcy predicted to be, a car crash interview that they could joke about for years to come.

Becky stood up when all the Avengers sat at their allocated chairs in front of everyone and gave a small cough to get everyone's attention.

"Hello, thanks so much for coming!" She greeted warmly, "Now as you know, we're about to hit the media full force with The Avengers, but we want everyone to be as prepared as possible so that's why I've invited you all here. If you have any questions please feel free to ask them, hold nothing back because I know the press won't!" Various people laughed at her comment and she continued. "I may stop and start at points and ask my own questions or steer the conversation along but please be patient. Thanks again and let's get started." She finished, clapping her hands together lightly and went to stand at the side of the table. She looked down at her Stark Tablet and back up to the superheroes in front of her. "So, Captain America, how are you finding the 21st century? Are you fitting in well?"

"Hello Becky, I'm very well, thank you. Everyone is so accommodating and friendly; it's great to see the pride and patriotism this great country still has." Steve smiled after awkwardly looking around the room as he spoke, it wasn't overly noticeable but she saw how his hands twitched, like he'd rather be sketching in his drawing book then be here, and Darcy found even herself swooning at his charm and poise.

"Brilliant answer Steve." Becky encouraged him with a thumbs up. "How is it being the leader of such a large team?"

Steve smiled at Becky, but Darcy could see him feeling uncomfortable. "We're all such different people but our skills and personalities all complement each other. It was difficult getting there in the beginning, but once we started working towards the same goal, we all found our place within the group."

"Brilliant, brilliant." Becky said to herself mainly as she looked down at her tablet. "So there were teething problems?" Darcy heard a few sharp intakes of breath, Steve had just dug himself into a hole with that one, she only hoped he'd be able to recover.

"You put this many egos in one room, there are sure to be problems, Ma'am. But we worked those out pretty quickly with a bit of rough and tumble." This caused most of the people to relax and laugh in the room, including Ironman and Thor. Darcy quirked her head, that sounded like a fun story. She was tempted to put her hand up and ask but knew it was probably best to make herself as invisible as possible. She lowered herself in her chair and wished she had her phone; so she could take a picture and upload it on Facebook. Her friends from school would not believe she was actually here! Not that she'd be allowed to post it, thanks to that huge 'Social Media Policy' contract Coulson made her sign.

This went on for about another half an hour, asking various things from logistical questions to history questions to personal recollections on certain events that happened during the Chitauri battle. There were even some from a few people in the room and such until Becky put her hand up and thanked everyone that participated. Then she focused on the six people sitting down at the front.

"This is great, I really think you all can handle all The Avenger questions; let's move onto the personal questions. I have compiled a list of typical magazine and talk show questions that I want each of you to answer. You can lie as long as you can stay consistent from that point onwards, I will check up! But I need you all to keep in mind the personas that I gave each of you." Becky said. "You've all coped so well so far that I'm going to do this as fast paced as I can."

They all nodded, Darcy could see Clint and Bruce getting more irritated by each passing second. Thor seemed to love the limelight and was grinning like a drunken person. Tony was chillaxing, leaning back on two legs of his chair, hands behind his head and Steve and Natasha seemed to have the attitude that this was a vital mission and were on full alert. Darcy felt bad when she got excited that they were moving onto personal questions; she suddenly realised that she knew nothing about Clint except he was an agent whose special skill was assassination with outdated weapons. She felt herself beginning to freak out but pushed it down. She had plenty of time to ask him questions tonight at dinner, she assured herself and Lord knows she's slept with people she knew less about in the past.

"Right, so, do any of you have partners?" Darcy took a silent gasp of air and felt her eyes go wide as she looked straight over to Clint. Unlike her, he looked unfazed by the question.

Starting from the left, like Becky directed, each answered.

"No, I'm too focused on work to meet woman." Steve answered.

"Same, although I've always too shy to say hi first, so it makes meeting people hard." Bruce answered. Darcy didn't know if he was being truthful or playing to his 'Shy One' act. She suspected the former.

"I have an amazing woman in my life." Tony answered, winking in Pepper's direction.

"I as well, she is helping adjust to life on Earth and is very understanding when I break the utensils or snap DVD's." There was a rumble of laughter at Thor's answer and Jane blushed. It was odd hearing Thor speak of something as modern as a DVD and Darcy frowned at his answer, she always wondered why they never had any plates…

"I am too busy for men. They never seem to be able to keep up." There was more laughter at Black Widow's answer, mainly from the women. Darcy was struck as how it could be taken as an empowering message for women or a challenge for men. How did she manage to do everything so perfectly?

"I'm single. I'm just waiting for the right girl." Clint answered. He looked longingly into the distance and Darcy couldn't look at him anymore, finding the floor much more interesting. She felt a lump in her throat but forced herself not to get upset at his answer. He was obviously just living up to his 'Heart Throb' role but it didn't stop her from feeling hurt.

"Great. Agent Barton, how would you describe your perfect woman?" For fuck's sake! Darcy could have cried out loud, was Becky doing this on purpose? She glared at the blonde haired woman but couldn't find it within herself to be genuinely angry at her.

Clint paused, clearly contemplating his answer before speaking, his eyes softened as he spoke. "She has to have a beautiful smile, and not be afraid to laugh whenever. Nice eyes and a good sense of humor are vital but I don't mind about anything else as long as she's loving, honest and trustworthy." Darcy felt a wave of jealousy as every single female agent in the room practically swooned at him. He had such an easy ability to charm. She felt sick, it was practically torture, hearing him list his perfect woman and knowing she would never hold a candle to his standards. She began to wonder if it would be too obvious if she left the room, knowing her luck, she'd probably trip over her own feet and land on her face. That'd be smooth, Darce, real smooth.

Darcy decided to fish her notepad out of her bag and begin to make a to-do list of jobs she needed to do in the lab, trying to block out the rest of the question and answers. She tuned in when they were talking about bucket lists, and Steve said he really wanted to win a Hot Dog Eating Contest while Natasha wanted to see the Mona Lisa in person.

By the end of the interview prep, Darcy had managed to make a week's worth of tasks she needed to complete and quickly slid from the meeting room before anyone could stop her. She was pressing the elevator button repeatedly hoping it would get there faster when she felt someone standing behind her. She didn't turn around to look, trying to avoid any conversation that could only darken her already bad mood. She let out a sigh of relief as she saw the doors move and didn't wait for them to fully open before squeezing in. Pushing the button numbered 12, she kept her head down and prayed the person would leave her alone for the short 4 level elevator ride.

She looked up as the doors closed and soon found herself trapped between the wall and a hard warm body. She pushed at the attacker and when he moved back she didn't know if she was thankful or not to see Clint was the person who was pressed up against her.

"I'm going to kiss you now." He muttered, giving her warning as she got over her shock, his lips descended onto hers soon after. She eagerly responded and placed one hand on his neck and the other at the base of his skull, using her nails to rack across his skin and pull him closer. God he smelt good and tasted even better. Like apples, she smiled to herself. He pulled back and rested his forehead on hers. "Oh, Darcy, I've been wanting to do that all morning." She could feel his hot breath on her face as he purred his words and smiled at her. She squirmed against his body, and it only made things worse as her heart raced and her blood burned.

Darcy knew she was being silly; after all, she was the one who wanted to keep this private this morning but she couldn't help but ask. "Do I… I mean, do you think I have nice eyes?" She hated herself for asking, she suddenly felt like a school girl asking a boy if they fancied her. Clint seemed to understand instantly what she was actually asking and gave her a quick but hard opened mouth kiss, their teeth clashing as their lips moulded together again, before answering.

"The perfect girl I described, it was all you." And like that all her fears were washed away, and she pulled him back down to her with the hand on the back of his head.

She made a content moan into his mouth as he lightly bit her lower lip. She tried to pull him closer to her, needing more of his body when there was a slight ding that signaled the doors were about to open. Clint swiftly moved away from her and left her breathless, pretending nothing had just happened when the familiar hallway of Level 12 appeared in front of her.

There were two agents she didn't recognize waiting to get on when she exited; they were too busy debating some kind of security issue or structure to notice anything amiss between her and Agent Barton. She gave him a small wave, and he put up 7 fingers and mouthed the word 'dinner' from behind the new residents in the lift. Darcy nodded and turned her back to him, heading to the lab, clutching her bag strap close to her chest as a shiver travelled up her spine. She felt giddy at the prospect of the eventful evening she was going to have with a fucking gorgeous man whose arms were probably in Urban Dictionary's definition of 'Arm Porn'. And she was his perfect girl! She gave a slight squeal of excitement before strolling down the hall in a daze.

Xxxxxx

* * *

Darcy stood outside Clint's door, feeling confident in herself. She looked hot and she knew it. Her hair was down and in loose ringlets, but she had spent time taming it with the new curly iron she got that morning; so it looked perfect and she knew it. All the cuts on her face were near invisible now, so with a little help from make-up, her skin looked flawless. She was wearing a dark purple wrap dress that did up with a knot above her hip and went down just enough to cover the wound on her thigh. Darcy was glad that the gauze bandage could come off now, but she still felt a little self-conscience about the damaged, ugly flesh. She finished the outfit off with some black high-heeled boots that went just below her knees. When she saw them this morning, she just had to get them. She felt very proud before she left her apartment; she looked like the picture of a sexy yet not slutty first date, a very thin line to walk on when you had curves like hers. Her confidence only boosted when she caught an agent on the elevator staring at her breasts that were highlighted but still hidden in the dress.

She fiddled with her clutch bag, making sure her phone was on vibrate, when Clint was suddenly standing in front her. Her eyes trailed up from his designer jeans, over a brown belt that was begging to be undone, over a white shirt with little black buttons where the top three were open giving her a hint of the muscular chest underneath. She could feel herself salivating and her mouth hanging agape. She must look like a lust crazed person when she finally reached his face. She saw he was wearing an expression that must have matched her own, desire, only his eyes were still lingering on her chest.

She smiled brightly at him and his obvious appreciation. "I didn't even knock." She pointed out, biting her bottom lip in curiosity and confusion.

This seemed to snap him out of his haze, blinking a few times, he replied. "I heard you outside." Darcy was impressed; she didn't think she made any noise. Then again, this was a trained marksman so it made sense he could hear everything going on around him and react quickly. "Fuck, you look amazing." Clint told her, taking her left hand in his right and giving her a chaste kiss on the cheek. It was such a gentlemanly thing to do that she couldn't stop the blush from rising on her cheeks. "Come in." He tugged at their joined fingers and stepped to the side of the door frame so she could walk through.

Darcy took this opportunity to place her hand on his bicep and give a light squeeze. "Thank you." She watched as his eyes darkened at her touch and the intention behind it. Darcy continued to smile widely and looked around the apartment.

He had changed it since this morning. She would have found that weird except he probably did it to make it look more romantic and cosy for their meal. He had dimmed the lights and moved the sofa closer to the TV, giving him more room behind it to put a table in the center of the room. Darcy felt her heart flutter at his effort when she saw he had set out silverware and candles on the clothed table. He really went all out when dining someone. She noticed that the picture that was by the TV earlier had gone, and she cursed herself for not actually looking at it before and wondered why he had hidden it, maybe it was an ex? Her curiosity perked up at the thought of his ex-girlfriends, how many of them were spies that could kill her? The only killer thing she had was her personality, she joked to herself.

She turned back to Clint and gave him a slow kiss. "This is so thoughtful. No one has ever done something so sweet for me before." She whispered and smiled into his lips, he looked very pleased with himself, and Darcy laughed lightly as she saw his cocky self return. She took a deep breath of air in, wanting to fill her senses with him. He smelt as good as she remembered, spicy and sharp yet fresh, he was addictive. Her eyes flickered over to the kitchen when she also smelt something else. "Are you making lasagne?" She asked hopefully.

"Yeah, that's alright isn't it? You're not a vegetarian or anything?" He put his hands in his jeans pockets, which in turn made his arms bulge, could that skip dinner? She just wanted to eat him up right now.

"No, I just… I love lasagne, it's my favorite." Darcy said, perplexed that he had managed to make her favorite meal, it was probably just a lucky guess. She moved over to the kitchen area, blushing as she saw all the utensils had now been tidied up and placed neatly back on the counter, remembering the night before. She felt a tingle in her lower belly at the idea of a repeat performance as she ran her hand absentmindedly over the smooth surface. "You made it yourself?"

Clint walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, pushing her slightly into the counter. "I told you I'd make you dinner, didn't I?" He said, his face then buried itself into her hair as he nuzzled her neck.

"Yeah, but I didn't think you'd actually make it from scratch! How did you even have time?" Was she really worth a home cooked meal from him? She pushed aside her self-esteem issues and focused back on the incredibly sexy and caring man pressed against her back.

"It's easy; I used to make it all the time." Darcy knew she was being silly when she felt a wave of envy hit her. So much for no self-esteem issues tonight… He probably made it all the time for woman he slept with. "When we had the right stuff in Afghanistan I would always treat the boys to my cooking talents." The envy washed away; leaving her feeling foolish and immature. She was glad Clint couldn't see her face right now.

"When were you in Afghanistan?"

"Officially?" Clint said with a laugh by her ear. Darcy knew not to dig any deeper, she knew from pestering her dad as a child about his army days that short and overly casual responses told her she shouldn't ask anymore unless she wanted to be sent to her room. She found herself looking down at his scar covered wrists which were resting on her stomach and felt a bit sick at the image of him being bound and tortured for information in a foreign country or maybe they hurt him just because they could. Her chest ached at the thought of his dark past, if she was honest, she was intimidated by it. Scared of what haunted him and how that could affect their relationship if it ever got to that stage.

He must have noticed her suddenly get tense because he let go of her from his arms and went over to some cupboards in the small kitchen. "What would you like to drink?" He asked, opening doors, searching for something, slamming one shut with more force than necessary. Damn, she'd made him uncomfortable talking about his past. Why couldn't she keep her mouth shut? "I have a bottle of red somewhere." He muttered to himself.

"Red would be perfect." She made a small 'pop' sound with her lips, no longer feeling awkward as she got distracted and watched how his back muscles moved under his shirt when he stretched to reach for the top shelf.

"Aha. Here we are." He placed the dark bottle on a counter and went to find a corkscrew. "How was your afternoon?" He stabbed the top with the metal device he had found, and Darcy marveled at his arm as he twisted the screw. Fuck, his arms should be locked away; they make her feel light headed just by being near them! She'd never really been into guys with amazing arms before Clint, maybe she just hadn't found the right guy…

"Good, you'll never guess who I saw." Darcy teased, tearing her eyes from his forearm to look into his eyes. "Captain America!" She laughed internally when the bottle slipped in Clint's hands, losing his grip for a moment at her playful words.

"Oh really?" He played along.

"He was doing this interview with the rest of The Avengers. I was so star struck." Darcy called over her shoulder as she went to sit down at the table he had set up a few feet away. "He's so handsome." She added the dreamy look although she knew he could see it. Clint was at her side a second later, snorting at her faraway tone as he poured the wine into the empty glass in front of her. "I love a man who fights for his country in a uniform." She traced a prominent vein on his arm as he filled her glass, she likes distracting him when he's trying to focus. She knew it was juvenile, but she liked to tease him with light caressed and implied words. Although sometimes she completely omits the covered aims and was quite blunt with her intentions. "Just the idea of ripped a man's uniform off gets me so hot." Like now. She fanned her hand in front of her face as she stared at his profile intently; he gulped and finished topping up her wine.

"What about the others?" He sat down opposite her and poured a glass for himself, getting over his momentary loss of words.

"The other Avengers? They were alright, I suppose. There was this one guy, he was rather cute." She purposely looked into the distance and bit her bottom lip, adding a small moan which she thought might be overkill, oh, what the hell!

"Oh really?" Clint repeated, sounding more interested. Darcy took a sip of her wine and smiled at him.

"Ummm... He had the most amazing smile. He was charming and sweet and funny but that wasn't what I liked best about him." She leaned forward while running her index finger around the rim of her wine glass. "He has the sexiest arms I've ever seen." She whispered, as if it was a secret, keeping her tongue in her cheek. Darcy noticed how he was subconsciously leaning closer to her over the table. She felt wicked for teasing him and thought it was best to stop, but not before one last comment. "I love a man who's good with his..." She paused for dramatic effect and almost couldn't keep a straight face when she licked her lips slowly. "Arms." Clint's eyes were going hazy again and Darcy broke out into a huge smile. "Sorry. I'll stop."

Clint coughed slightly and shifted in his chair. "You might need to, or I'll have to cancel dinner."

"Anyway, my day was fairly boring after that. Took notes, didn't understand anything The Doctors Four were talking about." Darcy tried to move onto a safer topic, the idea of forgetting the food was too tempting.

"The Doctors Four?" Clint asked with a bemused expression.

"Jane, Erik, Tony and Bruce. It's kind of a nickname I call them, Thor has The Warriors Three and I have The Doctors Four. 'Cause I have to get one up on him, and they're all doctors, well except Tony but The Scientist Four didn't sound as cool. Plus I don't understand ninety percent of what either groups are talking about; so it seemed to fit." Darcy explained, he still looked baffled but found her weird comparison funny. "What about you?"

"After the ridiculous media preparation that Becky is forcing on us, Natasha and I let off some steam in the combat rooms." The image of Clint sweaty and entangled with the gorgeously perfect secret agent would have made Darcy jealous, except she knew about the crush the Black Widow had for the sometimes Green Man.

"I think you all did brilliantly today. I know everyone will love you." Darcy reassured him. After all, girls like Darcy were the target audience for this Boy Band image Becky was putting on them, so she would know. Becky was amazing at her job by the looks of things so far, Darcy would be shocked if girls weren't running around with 'Team Hawkeye' or 'Team Thor' accessories by the end of next week. She wondered what girls who liked Steve would be called. Darcy got the feeling S.H.I.E.L.D wanted to steer clear of any comparisons to 'Team America'; although, she couldn't help feeling there were a few similarity between the two groups.

"You're probably right, but all that faking it really grates on me. Plus, Natasha's angry that her cover has effectively been blown indefinitely. This campaign to get the Avengers universally approved means she can never spy undercover again." Clint explained. He stood up, and Darcy watched as his wonderfully firm ass headed back into the kitchen.

"Except on the Amish." She called out to him. She heard him laugh, a sound she loved. "I never thought about that for Natasha. She must be annoyed."

"Hence the one on one." A bowl of salad, and a plate of garlic break was placed on the table, Darcy suddenly realized that she was starving.

"How did she even get involved with The Avengers? No offense, I've seen the footage, and she is fucking awesome, everyone else makes sense, but a spy in a battlefield? It doesn't add up." Darcy had wondered this before; she'd even asked Jane to see if she'd ask Thor but never heard anything back. She knew it was none of her business but it just intrigued her. Everything Natasha did was so cool that Darcy couldn't help but idolize her. Clint reappeared with a dish of hot lasagne, and she looked between the food and him. She could easily fall in love with this man, she thought, surprised that she already felt half way there.

"It's a long story. She felt like she owed a debt, which she didn't." He answered, without actually telling her anything. He scooped a good amount of the Italian food onto her plate, and Darcy held her hair back as she lowered her nose to inhale the amazing smell. She let out a very appreciative moan and sat upright again. When she opened her eyes, Clint was staring at her.

"Marry me?" She joked. He laughed a deep sound that came from his chest and Darcy joined him. "Seriously, if this tastes half as good as it smells then I may have to kidnap you and make you my own personal chef!" He lifted the plate with the garlic bread on and offered it to her. She raised an eyebrow. "Is that a good idea?" Garlic breath she imagined, couldn't be nice.

Clint smirked and grabbed a slice with his free hand and took a huge bite out of the crunchy bread. "Now you don't need to worry." He said smugly, between chews. Darcy laughed and followed his lead, taking a piece and putting it on the edge of her plate.

They chatted non-stop over dinner, each telling various stories about random things. Darcy tended to talk more as Clint often had to censor his stories. He didn't admit to it, but Darcy assumed half the events he spoke of happened during confidential missions or with top-secret people. Darcy was halfway through a story about how she got locked in multi-storey car park overnight when Clint reached over and held her hand across the table. She paused for a second but gave his fingers a light squeeze before continuing. He watched her intently, like she was the most fascinating person in the world, when all she was doing was just animatedly telling him how she ended up sleeping in her car because her phone had died - only to have her dad find her at 3 o'clock in the morning with the car park head of security in toe.

"This guy looked so shocked, I swear, if my phone had enough battery I would have taken a picture. He was one glare from my dad away from pissing himself!"

At the end of the story, he kept looking at her with that heated gaze. She was worried she had something on her face.

"Are you okay?" She ended up asking after brushing her cheeks for any stray crumbs from the garlic bread.

"Yes, I'm just trying to think of a way to say this." Darcy frowned internally, she managed to control her face to look as normal as possible, preparing for what he was about to say. Funny, she thought, he looked quite content for someone about to break it off with his… What was she to him? They hadn't actually spoken about that.

"Whatever." She said, pulling her hand from his. "Just say it." Her tone was colder than she hoped for, but she couldn't help get a bit hostile. That was her defense mechanism. Acting like she didn't care when the guy she liked dumped her. See ya later, Clint, you don't know what you're missing! Then she'd cry while watching 27 Dresses or The Ugly Truth, damn Katherine Heigl and her cheesy, yet addictive, rom-coms!

"I want to date you. Exclusively." That wasn't what she was expecting. Her eyebrows must be up to her hairline. "But S.H.I.E.L.D has a strict no fraternization policy. And with this absurd 'Heart Throb' image Becky wants me to have, we need to be discreet." Clint ran a hand through his hair, he looked uncomfortable. "I know it's unfair to ask, and this is not because I'm ashamed or anything, but if you want to… I mean if you'll agree to…" He struggled to find the right words and Darcy just continued to stare at him in shock. "Date me. Then are you alright to keep it secret? For now, even from Jane."

"Okay…" Darcy took it all in, her brain going through every implication of what he just said. She stood up and turned her back to him, taking a couple steps away from the table, towards the kitchen. She could hear him sighing behind her. Date him? Her heart was singing, telling her to jump his bones, but her mind was taunting her with her insecurities. What if this was just a way to fuck her in secret because he was ashamed of her? No, she knew the rules S.H.I.E.L.D had about dating, so he wasn't lying about that. But he was still a superhero, part of some crazy team that risked their lives on a regular basis. She'd seen Jane when she thought Thor was dead after Loki stabbed him and threw him from Stark Tower. She was distraught. Panicked and stressed to the point of a break down. Could Darcy cope with that, the worry every time he had to put his Hawkeye suit on. Clint was a lot more fragile than Thor, she hated to admit.

"My life is my job, I can't change that."

He seemed to read her mind as her thoughts ran a mile a minute. First of all, she thought he liked her, and then she assumed he wanted to stop seeing her, only for him to turn the tables and he wanted to be exclusive together but secret? Sure she didn't want Natasha or anyone to know that they slept together this morning, but that was different. She just didn't want to be labeled a slut or anything. But now, this would mean she would have to sneak around, lie to the people she loved under fear that if they were caught, then she would lose her job. She needed to sit down; standing up wasn't a good idea. Why did she have to wear those damned high heeled boots? She was unsteady enough without adding heels, wine and an emotions rollercoaster into the mix.

"I wish I met you sooner, before…" He said, getting angry, she didn't know if it was directed at her, S.H.I.E.L.D or himself. Did he really mean that? He was great at his job and as far as she could tell, he loved it. Why would he wish that away for her? They barely knew each other yet. Darcy looked down at her hands and turned around to face him, his head was in his hands, and she knew why. He was in too deep with their relationship as well. He was halfway in love like she was. Her heart fluttered at the idea and all those uncertainties and doubts drained away and her confidence was back to its usual peak form. She gave a wide toothy smile and raised an eyebrow at him. She began to slowly undo the knot at the side of her dress. Her fingers were shaking slightly. How did she get this lucky to have this amazing, caring, handsome man like him want someone like her? And he was awesome in the bedroom! What more could a girl ask for?

"I think it's time for desert."

Clint looked up, confused at her obscure comment, confusion was quickly replaced with shock and lust when she slipped the dress off of her shoulder and let it fall to the floor. She now stood in front of him wearing nothing but matching black underwear and her black boots. Clint's face broke out into a big smile as he stood up, practically shoving the table to the side as he stalked over to her, his intent obvious by the dark look in his eyes.

Darcy let out a small shriek of delight when he picked her up and pushed open his bedroom door. She landed softly on his bed and watched the way his lit face up at the scene in front of him. How could she ever deny him anything? He worshipped her, and she felt selfish to admit it, but she found herself getting addicted to his unadulterated adoration.

She beckoned him over to her on the bed with a finger and her best seductive smile. He obeyed willingly. Sure she'd have to lie to her friends and people she considered family and she would most likely get fired when they were found out, because who could really keep a secret from S.H.I.E.L.D? In that moment, she didn't care. She only wanted him and he only wanted her.

Xxxxxx

* * *

"What is it?" A gruff man's voice demanded. The room they were in was cold, damp and dark, the only source of light came from a flickering computer screen.

"We still have had no luck finding him, boss." The younger man admitted, his tone not matching the bad news he had brought.

"Then why are you here?"

The younger man smiled. "Because we found something better. A way to punish him and get him to come with us willingly." He said, happy with his information. He held out a picture that was snatched out of his hands by the other man suddenly.

"Who is this?"

"Miss Darcy Lewis. She works as a telephone operator for an ice cream complaints department located just outside of New York City."

The older man's face twisted into a smile as he laughed out loud in joy. "Oh, this is fantastic!"

Xxxxxx

* * *

Thanks for reading! And please take a moment to review, it's not required but they make my day and drive me to proofread the next chapters' quicker. So spare a minute and click that blue button.

I hope you enjoyed and I look forward to hearing from you.

Charlie


	11. Chapter 11

Breathe

Xxxxxx

* * *

Scribe of Spades – I'm not stopping anytime soon, don't worry. I've written first drafts for the whole story and it's looking good at 24 chapters, so I'm not even half way yet! Thanks for the lovely comment, even if this chapter is less cute, I hope you still enjoy it!

Pheonixgrl15 – Now that is a good question. Who knows? Well, except me! Thanks for the review, I'm glad you're loving my story, I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint you!

Angel Bells – S.H.I.E.L.D isn't known for its great cover stories, I mean Ironman being Tony Stark's bodyguard? Lame! Hope you like this next chapter and thank you for your comment.

Booklover9477 – Again, thank you for your constant support and amazing reviews! Thank you for thinking it's getting better, I only hope the direction I take this story doesn't let anyone's expectations down, and it's so great to hear that you're still enjoying it! I love reading everything you write and can't wait to hear from you again, Laila. Thank you.

Holen-Snape – That's the million dollar question! William Lewis is my complete idea, so blame me for the confusion and mystery that surrounds him. I like your line of thought, but you'll just have to wait and see what happens! Sorry. Anyway, I'm happy that you like my story and thank you for the lovely review, it made me laugh as I read it.

Selene Illusinia – You'll just have to wait and see! Sorry, I know it's mean to tease. Thank you again for your review, I love reading your comments and what you think of my story. I really value your continued encouragement and hope you enjoy this chapter!

Alexceasar – I loved the idea of the ice cream complaints department, I mean, who would complain about ice cream? I LOVE your ideas for superhero themed ice cream, I can't stop thinking of them now, like the Black Raspberry Widow, or the Red, White and Blueberry for Captain America. How would you like to come work for the company? We need idea people like you! Thanks for the review, it cracked me up so much I laughed out loud when I read it, I got a few strange looks at work but it was totally worth it! I hope you enjoy the chapter and let me know about the job ;-)

Vamppirre – I know right! There's only more to come. Thank you for the review, I hope you like what happens next.

Snowspell – Who said they were her dad's enemies? Dun dun duuunnn. I definelty get the kick ass vibe from Darcy as well. She tased a god within a minute of hitting him with a van, that takes guts! I'll sort out that little British-ism when I got back and edit everything, thanks for pointing it out, I know 80% of my readers are in the USA so I'm trying to play the numbers, it doesn't always work though! Thank you for the review, I'm so glad you liked the chapter and I really really hope this one doesn't disappoint you!

TarynWulf – Why, thank you! People need to be made aware of how mind-blowingly perfect his arms are. I'm so happy you like the interview scene, I was really worried people wouldn't like that plot line but with all the mixed media coverage at the end of the movie, I knew S.H.I.E.L.D would need to do some damage control. I hope you enjoy the next chapter and thank you for another lovely review, I really love reading them.

Mylove24 – I wish Bruce got lucky! I just didn't think those characters would move that quickly though, I mean they had a lot more standing in there way than Clint and Darcy did. I'm glad you're liking the story so far, I just hope the next chapter doesn't let you down! Thank you again for a funny and such a kind review, I can't tell you how much they mean to me!

Lenetra – I like your way of thinking! It's all very secretive at the moment and who knows what Darcy will found out or when. I just hope you enjoy the ride! Thanks for the amazing review and I hope this chapter answers some questions, although it probably won't, sorry! I hope you still like reading it and thanks again.

Kritters03 – Oh my god, thank you, I'm so glad you like my story! You're comments are so nice I can't let you know just how much they mean to me, but thank you. I hope this update doesn't disappoint!

Risalyn – Hello, gosh, thank you for your comments, I always worry about my writing style so it makes me so happy to hear that you're liking it. And don't worry, I do the same thing, I have loads of stories bookmarked that I check daily to see if they've been updated even if I know they haven't been! Anyway, I hope you like the direction this story goes and thanks again for the lovely review.

Rebecca Taylor – Thanks again for your approval. I hope you like this chapter, even if it is a bit of a filler one.

Dhauren – I'm sorry to hear you're worried but we always knew it wouldn't be smooth sailing for these guys. Thanks again for the review, I love reading everything you say, I can't stop the stupid grin I get whenever I see a new email alerting me of a review. I'm like an approval starved kid, it's addictive! I hope you enjoy this next chapter and it doesn't disappoint.

LilMissM – Thanks for your nice comments, I hope you like this chapter as well!

Mushroomking98 – I understand your pain, I watched Avengers 4 times in the cinema, one for the story and the rest to just stare at Jeremy Renner and his arms. Anyway, thank you for reviewing again, your amazing comments never fail to make me smile and I'm so glad you are still loving my story even as it starts to get more angsty and plot heavy. I hope you like this chapter although it is a little bit of a filler. Thanks again!

Xxxxxx

Finally, I would like to take this moment to thank my continuously amazing Beta and friend of mine, Sandra (aka SleepySandy). Her unrelenting support and work still amazes me today, she is so patient when it come to my worries and insecurities, she never gets angry at my consistent use of the word 'whilst' when it should be 'while' and she makes me laugh and my heart soar every time I see her name in my inbox. Thank you, Sandra, I can never say it enough.

Disclaimer: Marvel and any characters associated with them are not mine. The only person I take credit for is William Lewis and he hasn't even shown his face in this story!

* * *

Chapter 11

She was awake before him again and was currently running her hands over his firm arm staring at his face, relaxed in sleep. Yep, it's official. She was falling for him. This sucked, she summed up after the second time he made an adorable snort thing as he slept. This was too quick, and she was scared. She could only blame herself; she was the one who kissed him first… and second, now that she thought about it, she was the one who turned up at his door after her confrontation with Loki. She was the one who encouraged him last night with her strip tease. She wondered where she suddenly got all this confidence from, sure she was blunt and mouthy but that was usually to cover her self-esteem issues. No one seemed to question what was going on beneath the surface when the surface was so optimistic and free-spirited.

She sighed, biting her upper lip as she traced his face. It was only fair that she was the one to fall first, she mused.

The sex last night was at first very passionate, all about possession and lust, a lot of grabbing and tugging at each other. The second time they had slowed things down; she had taken her time to worship his body, because she loved the way he looked at her with his eyes burning and the sound of her name falling from his lips as he came hard, all because of her.

Darcy had learned that things work a lot faster at S.H.I.E.L.D than in normal life. She heard that it took less than 2 days to assemble the Avengers and defeat the villain, pretty impressive considering how crazy the whole situation was. Her own experience taught her that S.H.I.E.L.D didn't waste time, having started her basic training less than 24 hours after 'moving in'. So it made sense that relationships formed in warp speed as well. But that didn't mean Darcy was happy about it. She had never felt this way before, and if their relationship was even remotely normal, then she would have been scared. But Clint being a superhero was a far cry from normal.

His body was sprawled over the bed, one of his legs hooked over hers, their ankles touching and his other arm was wrapped around her body, trapping her to him. His breathing was steady, and she changed her gaze to focus on his uncovered chest. He had some small scars scattered over his ribs, and she remembered the way her reacted last night when she had kissed each one. He had made several sharp gasps and practically come undone in that moment, bucking his hips in that glorious way that made heat pool in her belly.

While she lay in the bed, trying to keep her mind off of the archer next to her, and failing, she began to think of her first of many lies to Jane; she knows she'll be questioned on her absence from her room last night as she gazed up at the glow in the dark stars that lit up the small bedroom. She didn't know what to say, anything she came up with was ridiculous or obviously fake. She suddenly felt the body next to her stiffen. Darcy looked over at him, expecting him to be awake but his eyes were pressed tightly together. Clint's forehead was furrowed and his breathing was erratic. He was having a nightmare.

"Clint?" She hoped her weak attempt to wake him would work, but he just got more agitated. He started muttering things she couldn't understand, but she knew were bad. His grip around her waist tightened for a second; then he pushed himself away from her roughly, nearly sending her off the bed in the process. Darcy felt her leg twinge with pain as his legs kicked out in his internal struggle. "Wake up, Clint!" She said louder this time. She wanted to reach out and shake him, but he was on the other side of the bed and putting distance between them seemed like a good idea.

"Fuck!" Suddenly, a gun was pointed at her. Losing the ability to breathe, she slowly raised her hands up towards him. As if that would help stop a bullet, Darcy thought dryly.

She heard the gun clatter on the floor and suddenly his familiar arms were around her.

"I'm sorry."

"That's okay." She lied. "It wasn't your fault." She stroked his hair and was very aware that they were both fully naked, him holding her as if she was about to disappear forever and her comforting him, her words void of any emotion. He was hot and sweaty, and not in the good way, Darcy just felt cold.

This only cemented her thoughts from earlier, there was no way she was going to survive this relationship, she was already in love with him, and this was all too much. It was destructive, and she could barely sort out her own feelings, let alone someone else's that were obviously much worse.

Clint recovered a lot quicker than she was going to. He unravelled his arms but held onto hers so only he filled her field of vision. "Really, I'm so sorry." His voice was steady and firm. "It will never happen again." If she wasn't still in shock of his previous actions, then she might have believed him.

"I know." She nodded, hoping he would just let her go soon so she could leave get dressed and leave. Darcy seriously needed to weigh up her options.

Xxxxxx

* * *

The first thing Darcy did when she reached the lab was open her emails, she was incredibly early as she left Clint's apartment as quickly as she could and didn't feel like going back to Jane and her place. There was one marked *Priority*, and it had a little symbol; so Darcy knew that it was from S.H.I.E.L.D. She took a deep breath in and clicked. It was from Natasha instructing her that they were having a hand to hand combat lesson at 11am. Darcy's eyes flickered over to the corner of the screen; it was 7.32 now, so she had plenty of time to prepare for that.

It didn't take long to answer or categorize all the emails for the little science crew, and she began to start a pot of coffee. It was ten to eight, so she had forty minutes before the other guys usually came in. She gave the caffeine a miss this morning, angry that her hands were still shaking from Clint's episode earlier, but she knew Erik, Tony and Jane would be lost without it. She filled the kettle as well and got a teapot out of the cupboard for Dr Banner's herbal tea.

She sighed and looked over at what appeared like chaos, but she knew was just the doctors' research. They were close to making some weird device that harnessed some of the tesseract's and Loki's staff's power that would help them destroy the Chitauri's power source, and in turn, the remaining Chitauri. She avoided going near the equipment and sat back at her work surface, on the high stool they used to have in her high schools science lab. Darcy wondered if they were standard issue for science people. She shook her head and wiggled the cursor on her laptop to illuminate the sleeping screen. She had plenty of time to write up some notes and file things they no longer needed.

Darcy kept herself as busy as she could for the next half an hour before she heard the door to the lab bleep and open, indicating someone had swiped their key card and entered. She looked up ready to bid whoever it was good morning and saw it was Bruce.

"Morning!" She tried to sound as cheery as possible, but she could hear the strain in her own voice. Damn, good job it was just Bruce, no way that greeting wouldn't have alerted Tony of a problem.

"Darcy." He nodded before walking over to his work station. She watched him intently for a solid 5 minutes before he carefully put down whatever bit of metal he was working on and addressed her. "Is there something I can help you with?"

Darcy stuttered, he looked like he was working so intently that he didn't notice her. She guessed she was wrong.

"Tea?" She managed to say, a blush rising on her face.

"That would be lovely, thanks. Green please." He smiled at her, and she visibly relaxed. Quickly putting together a cup and placing it on his desk. Darcy lingered there, unsure of what she wanted to say or do next. "You can ask, I promise I won't get angry." His tone was light and he had that crooked smile that let Darcy know he was making a joke.

"I'm sorry. I just..." Darcy took off her glasses, needing something to fiddle with in her hands. "Do you- I mean, is it normal to have-" She was cut off by laughter coming from behind the lab entrance. Darcy shut up and scurried off back to her desk, burying her head in paper. She didn't say her usual 'morning' as they all went to work.

About an hour later, someone approached her, Darcy prayed it wasn't Tony; she couldn't deal with him right now.

"Darcy?" Jane was perching on a work stool next to her when she spoke.

"Yeah?"

"Are you okay?" Jane's voice was gentle and her dark eyes shone in the florescent lighting. "You don't seem yourself today."

"I'm fine. I'm just a bit fed up of being stuck indoors all the time." It was partially true. The lack of sunlight and constantly seeing the same coloured walls was grating on her. "I mean, there must be some kind of health effects of not getting any vitamin D."

"I completely understand!" Jane sympathized, a warm smile on her face, good, she bought that excuse. Darcy gave a strained smile back. "This place in outstanding, but sometimes, all I want to do is just sit on the roof of our old place."

"I miss it as well. It was so simple back then, before..." Darcy looked around at Bruce, who was slowly sipping his cup of tea. "Before I knew about stuff like this." Darcy finished, lamely.

"Still, all this training must be fun. I can't wait to learn how to shoot something."

"It's weird, I thought I would be terrible but everything seems quite easy. All those movies where no one could actually hit each other suddenly seem really stupid." Darcy joked. "Although, I have my first hand to hand combat lesson today with Natasha; I'm sure I'll be bruised and broken this afternoon."

"She scares me. Plus lack of sunlight means you don't absorb calcium so are likely to develop osteomalacia." Darcy's eyes widened at the intimidating and scary sounding word she didn't understand. Jane must have noticed, as she quickly tried to back pedal. "That was a joke; it takes years of vitamin D deficiency for bones to weaken like that." Darcy nodded and began to rub her forearms, still not feeling too happy about her bone density.

"Natasha's not that bad once you get to know her. She's nice to me. I think she gets lonely, being the only girl." Darcy flipped over some pages in a notebook in front of her and crossed out a couple of lines. "I wouldn't want to be on the wrong side of her though." Which is exactly what was going to happen later, she mused. "Jane?"

"Hmm?" Jane was busy looking at the lines Darcy crossed out to answer properly.

"Let's have a girl's night. Watch some movies, eat some ice cream. It seems all we've been doing lately is work." She really hoped Jane said yes. She needed to escape with some cheesy rom-com where everything is happy and perfect in less than 2 hours.

"Sure, how about tonight?"

"Awesome." Darcy smiled and put her pen in her mouth. She'd have to stop by the entertainment level and grab some movies later.

"Thanks for sticking this all out with me, Darce." Jane seemed to be contemplating something as she spoke.

"What do you mean?"

Jane shrugged; her eyes focusing on the stack of paper surround them on the table. "You were just some student trying to get credits. Then all this happened. You stuck with me in New Mexico; you stuck with me in Norway. You followed me to New York on a hunch and stood in from of that twisted man because of me, to protect me. I never really said thank you for that. You would never have had to do any of this is it wasn't for me." Her words were very sombre and she stood a little more slumped than before, Darcy had no idea Jane felt guilty for putting her in the middle of this crazy world. Darcy felt a lump in her throat forming at the shorter woman's confession. Oh, she never knew Jane cared about her like this, her heart swelled at the acceptance she finally felt from Jane. Do not cry, Darcy! She told herself, she wasn't sure if she'd be able to stop once the tears started to flow.

"Jane, my life was boring before 'all this'. I didn't know who I was or what I wanted. The reason I'm stuck with you is because I wanted what you had. You're so certain of everything, down to what socks you wear each day. I want that." Darcy closed the notebook. "I want that certainty, that drive. I just hoped some of yours would rub off on me, you know? Only not for science, I'm totally not cut out of science."

The older woman stood up and gave Darcy what she assumed was a huge hug, even if Jane was smaller than her. "Darcy Lewis. You are smart and beautiful and awesome. You'll figure it out in no time."

"I hope so. But right now, I'm happy here. S.H.I.E.L.D is cool. I might see what they can offer me when you don't need me anymore. I hear the wage is good, and I have 90 percent of a student loan to pay off." Darcy had never thought when this government agency stormed into her life over a year ago that she might consider working for them, but with Natasha's support from the other night in the pub lavatory ringing in her mind, she was seriously considering it. Plus her dad had just emailed the other day her that she had some more letters at home from the student loan people.

"If it were up to me, I would never let you go." Jane gave Darcy's hand a quick squeeze. "You can always talk to me, whatever is going on, I'll always be here like you were for me." The guilt hit her full force, tears ready to spill. Darcy wanted to just hug her again and tell her all about the feelings she had for Clint, the confusion and affections she felt for him. She wanted to tell her about her fears of a relationship with an Avenger, knowing that Jane was one of the only 2 women who would know how she felt. She wanted to cry about his nightmare this morning, how he had kicked her in the panic, and when she got dressed, she had seen the stitches of her wound had all split and blood poured freely down her leg as she struggled to pull on her skinny jeans. Darcy was struggling to accept that it might be a regular occurrence from now on, getting hurt in the process of his dark memories.

"I know you're here. I'm too awesome for you to forget about!" Darcy put on her fake smile, teeth gleaming, hoping she didn't look too deranged or manic.

Both laughed and the air felt much easier to breathe. Darcy really loved Jane, it was moments like this that proved it was worth all those days when Jane was angry at her for no reason or ignored her because she 'wouldn't understand what she was talking about anyway'.

"So what should we watch tonight?" Darcy spun on her chair, putting her glasses back on her face, ready to focus on work again.

"Anything with anyone hunky in!" Jane blushed at her own words.

"Oh, is Thor not man enough for you?" Darcy made a face and made a slight trust at her crotch with her hands, laughing at Jane's shocked expression. No way in a million years did Darcy believe that to be true. She did, however, notice that Erik, Tony and Bruce were suddenly watching the two of them. She smirked and played up on it in tradition Darcy Lewis Style. "If you want, I can give him a few pointers." Jane's eyes opened wider than Darcy thought possible. "You know, like how if someone licks your ear-" Darcy didn't finish her sentence on purpose and waited for Jane's reaction.

"Stop it!" The young doctor's arms flailed in an attempt to shut her up.

"What about when you-" Darcy could feel the shit eating grin on her face get bigger when Jane practically fell out of her chair to cover the mocking girls mouth with her hand.

"Seriously Darce, you finish whatever you were going to say, and I'll tell Bruce you have a crush on him." Jane whispered close to her ear, so low that only she could hear.

What? Darcy suddenly felt very confused. She glanced over at Bruce who was smiling at the drama happening in front of him. What was Jane talking about, she didn't fancy Bruce. Darcy worried about where she had gotten that idea from.

"We'll talk over ice cream." Jane assured her; she didn't know if that was a good or a bad thing. Did she genuinely think that Darcy had a thing for Hulk's alter ego, or was she just threatening her with anything she could think of to shut her up? "You need to get going." Jane changed the subject quickly. "It's half 10 and you still need to get ready for your combat training."

Darcy left in a haze, not able to look at Bruce as she hurriedly packed her bag and headed to the door. "Wish me luck?" She jested at the door, pretending to be her usual light-hearted self, something she found herself doing a lot lately.

"Dead woman walking!" She heard Tony call as the door shut behind her. What a dick, she frowned as she jogged to the nearest elevator.

It didn't take very long for Darcy to go up to Level 3, get changed and then head down to Level 14 where the combat training rooms were. This was the first time she had been on that level and wasn't surprised to see it was almost identical to every other floor in terms of color and layout. She arrived about 10 minutes early and was about to open the door when she heard some people taking inside the room she was scheduled to meet Natasha in. She stood to the side and listened, feeling bad as she did so but not being able to help her curiosity.

"I want your report by the end of this afternoon." It was Fury; she would recognize that constantly angry voice anywhere. Darcy dreaded to think what his blood pressure must be like.

"Are you sure you don't want to do anymore tests?" Natasha asked, Darcy flinched and wondered how much guts you would need to have to talk to Fury that way.

"We've gotten enough already, wouldn't you agree?" It wasn't really a question and Natasha didn't answer.

"Sir, my report will be unbiased, but my personal opinion tells me different." Darcy was pointlessly pressing her body closer to the wall, trying to get a better position for her spying. She almost wanted to giggle; she was actually spying on spies! How absurdly cool was that? Or insanely stupid, she couldn't decide.

"Everything will be taken into consideration, including our personal opinions. You will have your time to speak up tomorrow. In the meantime, Agent Romanoff, you need to turn off your feelings and do your job."

"All due respect, Sir, my feelings are playing no part in this because this isn't my job."

There was some shuffling and Darcy winced when she heard something scuff on the floor. She didn't hear much of what Fury said next, only his last instruction. "Compromise."

She suddenly panicked. He was walking towards to door she was hiding behind. She took a few steps back and tried to make it look like she was just walking to the room. She timed it perfectly as when she reached forward to push open the door, Fury pulled it and Darcy tripped, losing her balance. Perfect, they would never suspect her capable of any kind of espionage when she couldn't even keep her footing when opening a door.

"Miss Lewis." Fury was offering his hand to her, and she eyed it for a second before gratefully taking it. He helped her off her knees and bid her well in her training before leaving in a flourish, his coat bellowing out behind him. Did he have a wind machine hidden on his person to do that, because there was no breeze in the corridor that could have caused that?

"Thanks." Darcy tried to be appreciative, but he had already left the room and turned around the corner. "What was that about?" She asked innocently. Natasha was standing by the corner of the giant mat, arms crossed over her black gym wear.

"A report. General spy stuff."

Darcy's mouth formed a little 'O' as she walked over to Black Widow, trying to psych herself up for this. "Cool. So, how about we just pretend I did this, and when a baddie tried to tackle me, I'll just taser him?" She lightened the mood, giving the red-haired woman a cheeky smile and a suggestive wink.

"Trust me, I'd rather you taser anyone who tried to attack you, but this is basic training. Everyone has to have it, even paper pushers like you." She looked happier than two seconds ago, and Darcy gave a mental fist pump that she made The Black Widow smile.

"I resent that comment, I don't just push papers, sometimes I get to make Bruce's tea, that is a huge honor considering…"Darcy turned her head slightly to the side. "Not to sound rude, but why are you doing this with me? You're like number one spy around here; surely Fury can use you for better things than teaching the newbie to punch like a girl?"

Natasha shook her head, her flame colored hair shaking around her pale face. "I like you. I'd rather teach you than let one of the instructors try and manhandle you under the name of 'training'."

"Fair enough." Darcy didn't like the idea of a stranger trying to grab her curvy parts, claiming it was 'training' she got enough of that when she went clubbing, only the guys then usually didn't even try and make excuses. She started to stretch and loosen up her muscles. "So, what's first? I thought S.H.I.E.L.D's policy for me in case of an attack was run and hide anyways?" She twisted her back and heard a mildly satisfying click of her joints. Her back was still a little sore from that one thing her and Clint did last night… She started to feel hotter as her mind wondered back to last night and that breath-taking thing Clint can do with his tongue. Damn it! She was horny again. Why was it that she went nearly 12 months without any sex and the second she gets some action she can't stop? Damn it! She swore internally again, damn her and her mixed emotions. If she hadn't already made plans with Jane, she imagined she would be back at Clint's door tonight, not caring about her safety or sanity, only that he relieved the ache between her legs, and she made him call out her name in that husky way when he came, like she was a goddess. Darcy almost didn't notice Natasha was talking. Fuck, she needed to focus.

"It is. But we want you to feel prepared none the less."

Darcy gave an awkward cough and tried to regain concentration. "Right, cool."

Natasha spend a few minutes explaining key things, like how to stand and how to breathe, but then went straight into attacking Darcy, walking her through different ways she could get out of each situation. Darcy learned that she should be using her legs more than her arms as they were stronger. Natasha demonstrated by showing her a move which involved jumping up, putting her hands on the ground and hooking her legs around a dummy's waist, spinning so they flipped together, the dummy landing hard on its head. Darcy let out a long whistle of appreciation at the skill and finesse the spy had. It looked incredibly hard, and Darcy couldn't picture herself doing that without falling in a helpless pile on the floor.

"That was bitchin'. You must be awesome in bed." Darcy commented, nudging Natasha with her elbow. Darcy expected an embarrassed or shocked reaction, like whenever she teased Jane but instead Natasha laughed and winked.

"I'm the best."

"No fucking way!" Darcy let out a bark of laughter at Natasha actually making a joke with her! They went back to training once she recovered. Natasha spent a few minutes teaching her how to fall properly, which was now causing Darcy to feel a bit like a battered toy. She wanted to moan and whine at this point, but she didn't want to complain in front of Black Widow, out of respect and fear that she could be treating her much worse. Darcy didn't want to end up like the dummy on the floor.

"Ommf." Darcy groaned as she hit the floor on her entire left side.

"That's better, try and not land so hard on your hip next time, use your legs to balance you." Darcy nodded but wasn't sure if she could actually put that advice into practice.

"That's easier said than done, mon ami. How long did it take you to get that his stuff?" Whatever Natasha said, Darcy was sure she wasn't going to like the answer.

"The basics take about 3 months; it's when you add the more technical stuff that it takes years." Natasha offered the fallen women her hand. "But I was a lot younger than you."

Darcy didn't have a response, mainly because she was panting too much; trying to get some oxygen back into her burning lungs after she was just winded.

"I think that should be it for today." Natasha said, looking at the girl struggling to breathe, bent over, hands resting on her thighs because it hurt too much to stand up straight.

Darcy pulled her hand away and saw red on her hand. She wiped it the back of her trousers, hoping Natasha didn't notice. She did. Darcy had her arm yanked in front of her and Natasha was looking at the traces of blood left in the creases of her skin. Darcy inhaled and paused, waiting for the questions.

"Is this from your leg?" Darcy nodded. "I thought that had healed enough to cope with this." Darcy's blue eyes were being stared down by green.

"I guess not." She shrugged. Please don't make a big deal out of this, her eyes pleaded.

"Let me see."

"No! It's fine, probably just a broken stitch." Darcy tried to play down the pain that was getting stronger. She knew what was hiding under her trousers and didn't want to deal with anymore explanations. "I just landed wrong, okay! I'll go to medical now, if it makes you happy."

Before she knew what was happening, Natasha had grabbed her by the arms and yanked her towards her, twisting Darcy's arms so they crossed and she turned around 180 degrees. Natasha pinned her arms against her chest and lowered her onto her back. She didn't even have time to protest before her trouser leg was pulled up to the top of her right leg. Darcy only stared as the bruises were out in the open. There was dried blood around the wound and fresh red liquid was seeping out of the cut.

"This isn't from now." That much was obvious, Darcy contemplated keeping her mouth shut but that wouldn't help, she was, after all, being interrogated by a spy who managed to trick the God of Tricks himself. She didn't stand a chance, but that didn't mean she wasn't going to try and at least lie.

"I fell over in the shower this morning." I sounded believable to her ears.

"Don't lie to me. Someone kicked you." Natasha demanded, looking at the suspiciously shaped bruise that was already starting to form in various colours. Darcy didn't know how she knew, but this wasn't the right moment in time to be thinking about that.

"I fell." She repeated.

"Who did this?" Darcy could see Natasha going into Black Widow mode, and it was scary as hell. She wanted to cower away but couldn't.

Darcy sighed; Black Widow was not going to let this go. Reluctantly, she began to ask the question that had be plaguing her all morning. "Do all agents have nightmares? You know, from old missions and stuff?" Natasha's forehead furrowed at her seemingly random question then smoothed out with realization. She moved away from the injured girl and sat back on her heels, her arms dropping from Darcy's leg to her side, her green eyes distant and full of sadness. That was answer enough for Darcy. "So, does it get better?"

There was a long silence and she had given up hope of getting a reply when she heard Natasha whisper. "No."

"Just forget I said anything." Darcy had her answer. She couldn't handle this. She wasn't strong enough to cope with his history. She struggled to breathe when she thought of him in pain, just looking at those scars on his body made her ache with grief. Whatever she had with Clint had to end, she only hoped he wasn't as far gone as she was. Darcy stood up to leave, faltering as she attempted to put weight on her right side but managed.

"I know what it's like, Darcy." Natasha said again, her volume still quiet from her position on the floor. "To like someone but know they're dangerous, not just to you but to themselves. You don't know if you're strong enough to survive their past and how it still affects them, on the one side, you want to stay by them because you feel right there, but the other side wants to run." Darcy slowly lowered herself back to the floor to sit with the spy, Natasha's face was set neutral and void of emotions, but it was clear that she was speaking from her current experience with Bruce, Darcy could tell. She was afraid as well. "Don't run, Darcy. I know how strong you are. Don't leave because of something we cannot change." Darcy suddenly wondered what haunted Natasha, it was obviously still affecting her to this day, or she wouldn't have said that.

Darcy wrapped her arms around Natasha and pulled her close, the pain in her leg long forgotten about, she didn't even revel in the accomplishment of getting Natasha to open up to her like this.

"You're stronger. He likes you a lot too. But he's just scared." Darcy said and squeezed her tighter, remembering the way Bruce looked at Natasha when they were dancing in the pub the other night. He was begging himself to be less troubled so he could love her, his eyes were tortured yet he couldn't help but smile. Darcy could already tell then that he was devoted to Natasha. Was that how Clint felt? "He would never hurt you, you know that." She continued, willing the red-head to trust her words. "We're both just scared to lose control of our hearts." A weight lifted as she spoke, somehow accepting her own words and feeling worlds better because of it.

They sat on the soft floor holding each other in a way that Darcy knew was some of the Avengers ultimate fantasy, even if Bruce, Clint and Steve would never admit it. She was glad no one else but Jane and Fury knew they were here so none of the others would walk in on them. Tony would have a heart attack and demand all the camera footage for his private collection if he ever found out the two girls had their arms wrapped around the other.

Natasha finally untangled herself from Darcy's arms and stood up, brushing imaginary lines off her clothes, obviously uncomfortable and ashamed of her momentary lapse in control. Darcy lifted her fingers up to find dampness on her cheeks. Both looked at each other and smiled lightly.

"Clint?" Natasha asked, a knowing smile showing that she knew the answer already.

"Bruce?" Darcy countered, smirking, suddenly feeling like she was back in 10th grade, sharing crushes in the bathroom. "I'll keep yours secret, if you keep mine?"

"I'll kick his ass for hurting you." Darcy looked down at her leg; the material of her trousers had fallen down to cover the damage.

"Don't. I'd say the same but, you know…" Darcy made fists and held them out at her sides. "Raaa!" She mimicked Hulk in an extremely pathetic way. It made Natasha laugh, and Darcy dropped her hands. Darcy suddenly gave an opened mouth smile, joy flooded her face and the older woman stared at her like she was insane. "Oh my God, I totally just interrogated a spy!" Natasha sighed and shook her head with a smile the way Jane or any of Darcy's old teachers did when she said something silly or random. "Fuck! I could totally be a spy. Like Totally Spies! You would so be Sam 'cause she's a red-head and serious, I'd be Alex 'cause she's funny and awesome with gadgets. Now all we need is to get Jane trained so she can be our Clover!"

"You know I don't know what you're talking about, right?" Natasha said flatly, her face still amused.

"That's it, you, me and a night of Netflix finest kid's cartoons." Darcy got excited all over again with her next thought. She was going to sit down with Natasha and get her to watch all action spy movies and point out the obvious plot holes or flaws with everything. She wondered how she could trick her into agreeing to that. Darcy suddenly felt the urge to be somewhere else. She was excited and happy, she felt ready to take on the world, and she wasn't sure if it was the adrenaline that was still in her system or if during all that falling she had knocked her head. She didn't care. She needed to do something. "I'm gonna go get my leg fixed up again." Darcy patted it gently. "And I'm totally gonna blame you, that alright?"

"You can but only if you never tell anyone about this, especially Stark." There had to be a story there! Darcy was tempted to ask, but her brain filter seemed to be working hard today as she ran her pinched thumb and index finger across her lips as if zipping them up. She added the feeling proud to her list of emotions she was currently feeling and headed to the elevator.

She made a quick stop off at Level 9 to get her leg patched up in the non-medical emergency hospital wing. She didn't even feel embarrassed when she went to Level 6 to buy condoms from the general store; she paused in the shop and considered something before grabbing a bottle of red wine and a box of those chocolates that she found a few days ago. She shoved all those items into her gym bag and headed to Level 1.

She knocked on Clint's door and was pleased to see the surprise in his eyes when he opened it and saw her, holding up the box of chocolates and a wrapped condom as if it was the only explanation she needed.

"I'm starving." She told him, her voice husky from desire. She placed one of the corners of the condom wrapper in her mouth and tore it open. She giggled as she watched his pupils dilate, and the muscles in his arm holding the door bulged as he gripped it tighter.

Clint gave her a grin then scooped her up in his arms, not even managing to get to the sofa before they were naked. Clint's eyebrows furrowed together when he uncovered her re-dressed wound, but she just grabbed his jaw and kissed his concerns away.

It was quick and hot.

There was nothing tentative about the way Darcy straddled him on the sofa and rolled her hips around so where they were joint caused mind blowing friction that had both of them panting. Clint covered his mouth with his hands in a moment of lust, disbelief and amazement as he stared up at her. Darcy tossed her head back, giving him a perfect view of her bouncing breasts, he made her feel like a goddess and she was getting addicted to his heated gazes and passionate groans. She smiled at the ceiling at the affect she had on him.

"Oh, Darcy. Fuck. You're amazing." It seemed like that was the only way he could ever describe her during sex, not that she minded.

She loved the way Clint's hands couldn't make up their mind. He'd uncovered his face but did they now want to stay on her ass or smother her breasts? She moaned and pulled her head forward to gaze down at him. His eyes were full of hunger, fixed down on where he was thrusting into her as they rode together; he obviously liked this new position. Darcy's hair brushed his chest and their breath mingled. She couldn't get enough and racked her nails in his hair and along his skull and she increased her pace, only to slow down then speed up again as she bounded on his thighs. Clint's eyes squeezed shut first and Darcy watched intently as he could only managed to take small gasps of air in and his pumps became firmer and more direct, he hands now firmly on her hips as he trust into her deeply. She moaned as he hit a certain spot inside her that made her legs tense and shake at the same time, his fingers had joined the mix and were now circling the sensitive spot that had her like putty in his hands. She needed something more as she came, tilting her head down a centimeter more, she hungrily kissed and sucked everything she could. The deep crease of his forehead, his closed eyelids, his nose. She groaned at a particularly hard thrust and shivered all over.

She kissed him softly on the lips when he finally grounded himself. Now was the time for sweet and softness. She stayed on top of him after they both finished, not wanting to lose the feeling of him inside her for the moment, she felt complete with him there. Her chest pressed against his, her head resting on his shoulder as he whispered little loving words into her ear.

"You are amazing." He repeated for the tenth time. Guys had told her this before, always after sex, but this was the first time she really believed someone meant it, and it wasn't just him on a post orgasm high, although that was a still a big factor in this case. "God, you're amazing." She smiled into his neck and gave him light kisses on his strong, sweat slicked skin. "I'm so lucky. You're so amazing." Darcy finally moved to his side, missing him the second she moved away, then snuggled up into his side. He kissed the top of her head and pulled her close to him. She felt so happy and relaxed, content almost, she was the one who was lucky.

She kept silent as she just watched him breathe and ran her fingers over his wrist that lay across her shoulders and down her chest, she didn't realize she was tracing one of his scars, subconsciously showing that she accepted them and his past. Silently forgiving him for that morning.

He noticed.

He kissed the top of her head once more and tilted his head back so it rested on the back of the sofa, looking up at the plain white ceiling. He smiled at how unbelievably lucky he was. After his royal fuck up this morning and her still showing up on his door, he needed to prove he was worthy of her, and he knew just how to do it.

Xxxxxx

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Thank you for reading, I know this was a bit of a filler chapter but I hope you all enjoyed it and ff. net have made it even easier to let me know your thoughts! Please take a second to write a few words in the box below, I can never express how much they mean to me... but it's a lot! Reviews encourage me to avoid doing real work (my job) and continue editing this story so I can upload chapters faster, so the more I get...

Anyway, begging over. Thanks again.

Charlie


	12. Chapter 12

Breathe

Xxxxxx

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WrongRightBlackAndWhite – Thank you for the review! Don't worry there is plenty more of this, we are at half way point with this chapter so I hope you enjoy the rest!

C3lph t1tl3d – Thank you so much, your comments really made my day, I always try to make the characters as real and relatable as possible, often hard when you're dealing with superheroes, so you saying that meant more than you know! Thanks for the review and I really hope this chapter doesn't disappoint!

Angel Bells – I like your idea of Darcy and Bruce forming a little club for people in love with assassins lol. Thanks for the review, I was worried I'd made Natasha too OOC but I just love her and Darcy being friends. I hope you enjoy this chapter and thanks again for another lovely review.

Lenetra – Thank you! I didn't mean for that to be a sad chapter, I wanted to portray how Darcy was shocked but strong enough to get over their first real problem with a little help from a friend ;-) I'm so glad you enjoyed it because I was worried it was filler chapter, like an episode of a sitcom where the problem in the beginning of the chapter is dealt with by the end, I'm so happy you didn't think it felt like that! And as for Clint's POV? Well I hope you enjoy this chapter ;-)

Snowspell – I'm sorry to hear you're sick! I feel like I know you, from your reviews of each chapter I feel like we're friends, I always smile when I see your name in my inbox. Sorry if that sounds too stalkerish. Anyway, I'm glad I helped you feel better and I'm glad you enjoyed the sex scenes as much as I enjoyed writing them. It's so easy with them! Thanks again for another lovely review and I hope you are feeling better, if not I hope this chapter helps!

Booklover9477 – I'm glad I didn't let you down. Thanks for you lovely comments and I hope you like this update!

Patpat – I wanted Darcy and Jane to have a moment, I felt like I was pushing Darcy away from Jane, which I really didn't want to happen and I thought it was a sweet moment between them, I'm so happy you like it too. Hopefully this chapter will give you some information about Darcy! Thanks again for reviewing!

Leighta Greenleaf – Thanks *blushes* I love Darcy/Clint, they are just such brilliant characters to play with and I'm so glad you're enjoying reading about them. And I completely agree with your Natasha/Bruce theory. Thank you for taking the time to review and I hope this chapter doesn't let you down!

Katie-Kakes97 – You are to kind! That last chapter was a bit different but I felt it needed to happen. Anyway, I hope you like this update and it doesn't disappoint you! Thanks for reviewing, it's always great to see your name in my inbox and know that you're still liking my story.

Lovebuggy – Thank you, your comment was really lovely and I know exactly how you feel, I'm always checking to see if there are new chapters of my favourite stories lol. I hope you enjoy the next chapter!

Alexceasar – I love Clint/Darcy sexy times, they are so great together and I'm happy you agree. I loved Darcy spending time with both Natasha and Jane, I felt she needed to spend some time reaffirming her friendship with Jane and building on her new relationship with Natasha so I'm thrilled you liked it too! Anyway, I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint you. Thanks for your continued support, I love reading your thoughts on each chapter.

CoffeeJunkie33 – Hello! Thanks for your brilliant review, it made my day to read about the bits you like of my story, my head might be too big to fit in my house now! I'm so glad you like this side of Natasha, I was really worried everyone would think she'd too emotional compared to other fics out there but I think she'd really important for Darcy. I love Clint too and this chapters partly from his POV so you'll get to see a bit more of his thoughts and feelings as well. Thanks again and I hope you like this chapter.

Rebecca Taylor – Thank you once again, I hope you enjoy reading my update.

PrentissMysteryChallenge – Lol, I know exactly how you feel! Especially when I find a new story and spend hours reading it to come to the last updated chapter, I have to fight the urge to throw my laptop and yell for more! Anyway, I'm so glad you're enjoying my story, I can't believe the response I'm getting for this story, I wasn't even sure if I was going to publish it to begin with! Thanks for your review and I hope this chapter doesn't make you want to damage your computer much.

TarynWulf – I can't believe you spent all night re-reading my story! I mean, I understand, I do that all the time, especially with StarTrekFanWriter's Blue (it's Darcy/Loki but totally amazing), but I never thought anyone would do that with my story! I feel honoured, so thank you. I hope you like this new chapter and it doesn't disappoint you!

Mrs MalContent – Wow, thank you! I don't plan on stopping anytime soon, there's still another 12 chapters after this one left of this story and I'm already writing a sequel. It would be a huge favour, but if you don't mind pointing out any spelling mistakes you spot, then it would really help me when I go back and edit everything once the story's complete. Thank you so much for your lovely comments though, I always try and make my characters based in reality, which can often be hard with the drama that naturally comes with superheroes lol. Anyway, I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint you.

Kritters03 – I will happily accept those cookies because here's the next chapter! Although I'm not sure you'll want to give them to me when you finish reading it :-( Anyway, thanks for another kind review, it made me smile.

Mylove24 – I completely forgot about Darcy and Bruce coming in late together! How did I miss that and Jane and you didn't? Weird, you have a better eye than Clint ;-) Anyway, I'm happy you liked the last chapter and I hope you enjoy this one too! Thanks for another lovely review, it's great to know you're still enjoying my story.

Phoenixgrl15 – You ask and I shall deliver! I hope you enjoy Clint's POV in this chapter. Thank you for another brilliant review.

Yourselfishimsorry – Thank you! I'm in love with you for that lovely review. Thank you. I hope you enjoy this chapter and it doesn't make you hate me :-(

Little Miss Michelle – Thanks! I'm so glad you're still enjoying my story, and thanks again for your continued reviews and lovely comments! I hope you enjoy this new chapter.

Troubleswithtribbles – I'm glad you are digging my story, thanks for your reviews, they made me laugh out loud, which earned me a few strange looks. It was great to read your reaction to each chapter as you got to it, thanks for taking the time to review not just once but 3 times!

Dhauren – Thanks so much for another amazing review, you are really too sweet! I cannot think of a good name for a female bromance… a frienbian? A Womance? They don't have that cool ring to them. Whatever it's called, I want Darcy and Natasha to be it forever! I love writing these two together, Darcy is so OTT and Natasha's only response is a questioning eyebrow twitch. This is totally not a Darcy/Bruce fic (although I love them together, mainly thanks to you!) that would be a disaster of a love square if I ever saw one before. I'm so glad you're enjoying my sotry and I hope you like reading this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it!

Mushroomking98 – Thank you! I wanted to give Darcy a chapter where she spent time with her closest friends to gain a little perspective with her relationship with Clint. I'm so happy you like it!

Xxxxxx

I would also like to thank the couple of guest reviews I got for my last chapter, they were such lovely comments and I wish I could shout out to you individually but alas, I cannot. All the reviews and amazing comments I get continue to shock and astound me, thank you all for reading my fic and being such lovely fans! I can't thank you all enough for reading.

I'd like to have one more second of your time before the chapter starts to thank my wonderful Beta, SleepySandy. Sandra, you are amazing, truly the rockstar of this fic. I certainly wouldn't have continued this if you hadn't offered to Beta me so I an eternally grateful to you. Thank you.

Now, on with the show!

Xxxxxx

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Chapter 12

It had been two weeks since Darcy knocked at his door, and now they had fallen into a steady routine. Darcy would work all day for Jane in the Lab, no longer needing her 'basic training', then she would go back to her flat to make an appearance with Jane and Thor; sometimes they would all have dinner together or watch a movie. Then she would sneak out and go to his room 2 floors above. Knocking three short taps, he would never leave her waiting more than 5 seconds before he opened the door. They always kissed before greeting each other. Then, depending how late it was, they would eat food, then put the TV on and stretch out on the sofa, talking about their day and other random things. Sometimes, when he was writing reports on his laptop or reading confidential files and she thought it was getting too late, she would try and distract him with little things, like licking her lips a little too often or tracing the protruding veins on his forearms. He could never stay focused and always tried to glare at her but found her wide blue eyes too naughty and seductive to really complain. They would move to the bed room and have a little fun before sleeping.

She would sneak out of his bed around 5 o'clock in the morning and go back to her room for another hour or so of sleep before getting up for work. He could never sleep after she was gone. He hadn't had any more nightmares since the first time, which he was thankful for, but now he didn't like sleeping alone. It was like his body refused to relax without her lying next to him. It was worrying how quickly he had gotten used to her in his life and scary to think what would happen if she wasn't there anymore.

If anyone noticed Darcy's improved mood, then no one commented on it, but Clint saw the little skips she did when walking now that her leg had fully healed. He saw the way she smiled randomly in the meetings they had, while biting the top of her pen, lost in thought. He wished he could know what she was thinking when she did that; he hoped it was of him, but didn't want to get his hopes up. He heard it in her happiness, in her laugh, which she now did more often, it was an addictive sound and for once he found himself wishing Tony would make more inappropriate or rude comments just so he could hear her laugh again.

Clint felt whole when he was around her, forgetting about his job and the life he led, his only thoughts were of her and their future.

Looking at her across the meeting room table at their usual 'Monday Morning Avengers Briefing', his mind went back to that day two weeks ago when he finally allowed himself to love her. She touched his scars. His hideous, angry scars. He hated the constant reminder of what they did to him, but they would always be there, right for the world to see and yet she accepted them, accepting him and every tortured thing about him in the process. She was strong willed and had a big heart. That's why a few hours later that fateful afternoon when he was called into Darcy's review with Fury, Hill, Coulson, Thor and Natasha, he had said that she would not be suitable for training as an agent. He had lied. He had lied because he didn't want to put her in harm's way. He had been selfish and wanted her waiting for him when he got back from missions. He didn't want her out in the field causing him to lose focus with worry. He was compromised, but unlike last time, he welcomed it. He felt more like himself now than he had in years and it was because of Darcy.

Looking at the reviews everyone had given Darcy, from weapon proficiency and espionage skills to intelligence and creativity, she had scored high marks across the board, and he had been shocked at the little tasks they had set to test her without him knowing. They sent Agent Alex 'douche bag' Hudson to walk a complicated route with Darcy to the Target Practice room where Clint trained her to use a bow. Then he left her alone to walk the long winding route back on her own to see if she got lost or was able to remember complicated schematics easily. She passed, never straying one foot from the near identical path she had only walked once before. He felt irrationally angry about the secret tests, even though he was involved in the majority of them. He did however feel proud that Fury had purposely put Darcy in a situation where she spied on him and Natasha about 'reports', showing that she had it in her to be wonderfully deceitful. He smirked looking at the photo from a security camera; it showed Darcy pressed low against the wall by the door, her face turned to the side as she listened intently on what Director Fury and Black Widow were discussing. She scored high in that category as well.

He remembered his words even sitting now in the Avengers weekly meeting, clearly in his head as if he'd only just spoken them. "She's not what we're looking for." He closed the folder Coulson had given him, not wanting to be distracted by anymore photos of Darcy, especially when she was wearing tight gym clothes in the majority of them.

He was more than a little stunned when Natasha agreed with him, telling the others that her skills and experience under pressure were more than enough to start being trained as a S.H.I.E.L.D agent, but Natasha knew from her own personal experience that finding out about her father and how he'd secretly been training her in little ways her whole life would destroy Darcy; she wouldn't be able to trust S.H.I.E.L.D again and that wasn't a good thing for an agent. Fury disagreed, claiming that she would be perfect, using Natasha as proof that she would be fine. It's true, Natasha was a lot younger when she started out, and she ended up on the wrong side of the law to begin with, but now she was one of their best assets. Natasha tried to explain how 'that was different' and how 'her distrust of her father led her to S.H.I.E.L.D and this was the exact opposite'.

Hill then pointed out her lack of any knowledge remotely related to science, the field she was supposed to currently be working in and how she would be better suited as an agent then as Jane's assistant. Coulson agreed. Clint wondered what changed Maria's mind, she was so adamant before about Darcy not being right for training. Once again, Thor was keeping very quiet. Clint felt nervous as he noticed that The Asgardian was spending the whole meeting looking just at him and no one else. Clint suspected he knew. He made a mental note and stored it away for later.

"She's irresponsible." Clint tried another attempt to sway the vote. He winced internally as he insulted his girlfriend. Was girlfriend the right word to use? It felt right to him, but they had never talked about it.

"She took care of both herself and Jane in New Mexico." Coulson disputed.

"Not burning pop-tarts doesn't make her responsible."

"Even though she's terrible at science, she's good at her job, she's dedicated and focused." Hill commented. "That's pretty responsible if you ask me." Clint wanted to glare at her but knew he was just being petty.

"She's reckless with weapons!" Clint pointed out; he knew he was grasping at straws as he waved his hand at Thor, using him and Darcy's now infamous first meeting as an example.

"Are you really one to talk?" Agent Hill gave him a sharp look. "How many times have I caught you hiding in the ceiling vents 'testing different specialized arrowheads' on the new recruits?" She lifted her hands and made quotation marks in the air. Clint sat back in his chair. She had a point. He decided to keep quiet, as he was beginning to persecute Darcy a bit too heatedly, and it might start to look suspicious.

"Her attitude is a bit lax but that's what training is for. We've all seen the signs; she can't walk into a room without checking for exits or weapons people are carrying. You can't teach that instinct. She's a natural." Coulson added and Fury agreed, making a note of this.

"She does not have any motivation to become one of your agents." Thor finally contributed his thoughts. He began to explain in more detail when he was met with blank stares. "All of you have different reasons from what I can gather, Darcy indeed has a very comparable childhood to Agent Romanoff however, she is not aware of it, so cannot make an informed choice on this matter. She has not be betrayed or recently lost a loved one like us. Her heart is too pure for your plans." Thor looked directly at Clint and gave a small but wise smile, it was easy to forget that Thor was over a thousand years old because of his lack of understanding of Earth things, but in that moment, Clint could see an intelligence that only came with age.

Clint felt relief at the blonde man's words. It seemed to tip the scales. 3 for and 3 against. They decided to finish the training and secret tests, and if Darcy ever wanted to become something more in the future, then it was completely up to her. The ball was officially in her court, even if she didn't know it.

Clint kept his chin close to his chest, avoiding everyone's eye line as they finished the evaluation. He hated talking about Darcy as if she was just a random person that S.H.I.E.L.D could use to their benefit. For the first time in his career with the organization, he didn't want to utilize an asset to their advantage. It was selfish, but that wasn't what he felt guilty about. He felt bad because he was lying to Darcy. It felt dirty and wrong to be sleeping with her when he knew more about her true past then she did, and he dreaded the day she found out. Like Thor said, Darcy had never felt the pain of betrayal and this would cut her so deep that he doubted she would ever forgive them. Ever forgive him.

He sighed at the weight in the pit of his stomach that formed whenever he thought about this, which happened quite often. He needed to figure out it out, tell Darcy the truth now and risk losing her or wait and hope she never finds out, because the longer she stayed here, the more betrayed she'd feel when she found out. She wouldn't just leave him then, she'd leave the whole complex and he would never see her again. Clint's heart clenched, and his palms got sweaty, a tell-tale sign that he was nervous. It only happened when he thought of her, he thought bitterly. What kind of sharpshooter would he be if his hands got clammy at the first sign of fear? No, only Darcy had this effect on him. He loved and hated it at the same time.

Suddenly his mind reeled, bringing him back into the meeting room and the conversation he was currently supposed to be listening to. He shifted on the uncomfortable metal chair he was sitting in, looking at the woman he loved as she tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. The glasses that she only wore when she was concentrating on things started to slowly trail forward and down her nose. She was nibbling on that pen, still in what Clint found to be both adorable yet seductive. The memory of those teeth grazing his ear felt like a ghost brushing his earlobe, his black combat trousers getting a little bit tighter at the idea of her mouth doing other naughty things to him.

Everything was perfect for them. Clint needed to stop worrying about her finding out about her dad's life that he was keeping secret. She wasn't going to find out; he tried to convince himself, pushing down that part of him that screamed at him to man up and tell her the truth. No, he didn't need to, she wasn't interested in becoming a S.H.I.E.L.D agent, and she was blissfully unaware of the interested looks other agents gave her when they figured out her dad is William Lewis and became curious. Darcy was clueless, and he had to start relaxing or she would start to pick up on it.

"So the PR Campaign is going wonderfully! I have the prototypes of the action figures for each of you; they should be hitting the stores in just over a week!" Becky said, followed by the slam of the door she just waltzed through slamming shut causing Darcy to jump, the pen falling from her tempting lips to the floor. No one had expected Becky to walk into the room. Clint watched as Darcy bent down, disappearing from sight as she scrambled for the lost pen. He smirked at her, covering his amusement with his hand, making it look as if he was just rubbing his mouth in contemplation. Becky started to hand out the toys, and everyone started to analyze their own model. "Agent Barton I saw five girls on my way to work wearing t-shirts with you on it! Five!" She looked so happy that Clint uncovered his lips and gave her a closed mouth smile, hoping he seemed even a third as excited as she did. His toy was fairly accurate, he was wearing his uniform and sun glasses; the small plastic bow was removable, and he could actually even shoot tiny plastic arrows with it. He checked the box and saw it was for ages 8+. With nimble fingers, he directed the tiny toy to Darcy where she had just emerged from under the table, pen in hand. He let go of the arrow and watched in joy as it hit her in the upper arm, and she scowled in his direction, sticking her tongue out at him in return. He only winked and laughed, everyone else was distracted playing with their own likeness to notice their interaction.

"This hammer is so tiny!" Thor wined as he held the miniature replica of his weapon up to his eye level.

"You think that's bad, mine doesn't even do anything!" Tony called out from the other side of the table. "I was assured that my blasters would at least shoot something!"

"Yeah, cause giving kids tiny destructive weapons is a great idea, Stark." Darcy said as she rolled her eyes.

"It really looks like you, can we keep these?" Jane asked, moving the Thor doll's head left and right as if he was looking around. She looked so fascinated at the simple toy.

"Of course you can, they all talk as well, and there should be butto-" Becky started to talk but was interrupted by Tony finding said button and pushing it.

"_I am Ironman._" The little recording said, causing several people to smile.

"Cool." Tony approved, pressing the button again.

"_Suit up!_"

"I can't find my button." It was Clint's turn to roll his eyes at Steve's inability to do such a simple task, even by Steve's standards. Bruce pointed it out and soon the tiny Captain America spoke.

"_Avengers Assemble!_"

"I've never said that…" Steve looked confused.

Becky shrugged, "We had to improvise some of them, they can still be changed if you're not happy with any of them, just let me know by the end of today."

"What does yours say?" Steve asked the rest of his team mates.

"_The name's Hawkeye, I don't miss._" Clint raised an eyebrow at his toy's words, pressing the button again. "_I want to protect you, because I'm an Avenger, that's what we do!_" He couldn't stop from quickly looking up at Darcy, his eyes wide at how true that sentence rang to their first meeting. She was busy playing with Bruce's toy, making its arms move up and down in a smashing motion at the table as she simultaneously pressed the button that made it talk.

"_HULK SMASH!_" She laughed that glorious sound he loved to hear, throwing her head back when she saw Bruce's uncomfortable expression as she made Hulk jump and land on the scientists crossed arms. Clint couldn't help but watch with a smile at his amazing girl as she tried to start a fight between the toy Hulk and Bruce's wrist watch, hitting the tiny green fists against the glass face of the timepiece.

"What does yours say?" He finally turned his head to Natasha, directing the question at her, although his gaze never left Darcy.

"I haven't risked it yet." She replied, passing the toy over to him.

Clint picked it up and managed to tear his eyes from Darcy to look at the toy. It certainly looked like Natasha, only there was a small smile on the action figure's face that Clint knew wasn't exactly accurate. He flipped it over and held it up to his face, turning to Natasha as he pressed the button, watching her face for a reaction.

"_I can take care of myself, first, last, always._" Natasha only raised one eyebrow at that catchphrase, not the outraged reaction he was hoping for. Clint tried again. "_I have a very specific skill set, would you like to find out?_" Again, Natasha gave him no reaction at the obviously sexual intention behind the voice artists' voice; so he just handed the toy back to her, defeated.

"I prefer mine; at least it has a working weapon." He grumbled, picking up another arrow, this time aiming it at Bruce's hair, he hoped the doctor wouldn't notice, his hair was messy enough for the small arrow to get lost for days! Natasha gently placed her hand on his wrist, obviously understanding his plan and stopping him.

"Wait, you don't live here?" Darcy finally asked, waiting until everyone had calmed down after playing with the toys. Her brain filter was not at a hundred percent today, Clint mused.

"I live in Manhattan; it doesn't take long to travel in." She answered quickly, before moving on. "Everyone wants you guys on their show. Ellen loves you all; she's even made you a new segment and can't wait to get one of you on air!" Thor looked confused at the blonde haired woman. Apparently, Becky would have to explain talk shows to him in a bit more detail before he was put on one, especially a live one.

"This is all very well and good, Miss Brookes." Fury said, apparently Becky's surname was Brookes. Clint almost felt sorry for her but then realized how the alliteration actually suited her personality. "But we still have a few more things to discuss before you interrupted with your…" Fury struggled to find the right words as he watch Tony and Bruce mock fight with their toys, much to the rest of the team's amusement. "Your press update, do you mind?" Fury told her, he was being oddly polite, but Clint could tell his teeth were clenched as he spoke.

"Oh! I'm sorry, I was just so excited to tell everyone my new idea. I'll come back in 10 minutes?" Fury nodded, and Becky stepped out of the room, looking sheepish at her obvious intrusion.

"Where were we…" Coulson asked mainly to himself, a little disorientated by the hurricane that Becky always caused when she was in 'hyper press mode'. "Steve, how's the new shield Tony made for you?"

Steve looked up from the tiny shield in his hand and gave a small smile. "It's good, not as good as my original but it will work well when I need to conceal it." Tony beamed at everyone, proud of his work and wanting appreciation. The new shield was a back-up, for situations when he had to be a bit more discreet than carrying a giant red, white and blue disk would usually be. It was collapsible and could be easily hidden as it folded into the size of an old VHS tape when not in use. Clint had seen it in action, and Tony had told him how creating a more specialized uniform for him would be next on the list. Clint was almost grateful except Tony followed up that offer with a comment about how he was going to make him into a modern day Robin Hood in tights. He got his revenge when he spent the rest of the afternoon flicking elastic bands at various parts of Tony's anatomy.

"Thanks for developing that, Tony. So it'll be ready to use when the new scepter is finished for the Chitauri mission next week?" Coulson confirmed with him.

"Actually, speaking of that." Bruce looked over at Erik and Jane while he spoke, looking for their approval. "I just finished testing it this morning. I think it's ready to go."

"Brilliant. Sooner rather than later, eh?" Tony announced. "I'm itching to get my suit on and kick some alien ass again!" He held up the toy in front of his face and gave a funny expression as he pressed that button again.

"_Suit up!_" Clint smirked at the appropriate saying.

"Oh!" Tony smirked at the toy.

"Tony, we want this to be as quiet as can be so no 'ass kicking' if it can be helped." Steve said, firmly, like a master scalding its puppy. "A quick in and out. Are we all prepared? Everyone memorized the plans?"

Clint loved it when Rogers went from soft spoken Steve to Captain America mode. It was like watching a childhood hero come to life right in front of his eyes. He'd never get over that boyish idolization he had for Captain America, but he hid it well, unlike Coulson, who was still devastated that Fury had ruined his vintage card sets with his own blood. He was not happy when he woke up in the medical bay to find them forever stained red. He was however amazed that his 'dying' gave the team all the motivation they needed to go out and kick Loki's behind for good. He literally made the Avengers assemble, he had proudly told Clint when he was tipsy at the bar a few weeks ago.

All The Avengers around the table nodded with the Captain. "Good, we will go out this afternoon then, 2 o'clock briefing. Any issues?" Everyone agreed again. Clint looked over at Darcy to see her eyes wide. She was dumbfounded by them forming a plan and snapping into Avengers mode so suddenly. The concern was evident in her eyes as she looked directly at him; there were no signs of objection, only anxiety. Clint was glad. She knew what his job entailed, and although she was worried about him going out on a mission, she still accepted it, like his scars. How did he ever get so Goddamn lucky? His lips curled up at her and gave her a tiny nod, so small she almost didn't pick up on it. "Then let's do this before the business day closes."

"At least we have a good excuse for missing the rest of Becky's update." Tony said with a wink to the other Avengers as they left the meeting room.

Clint made sure he stood next to Darcy in the now cramped elevator as Tony, Pepper, Jane, Thor, Bruce, Natasha, Steve, Darcy and himself headed up to get back to work or ready for the mission. He was thankful she was standing in the back corner so he could be by her one available side, catching her fingers in his and giving her hand a light squeeze without being noticed.

She looked up at him and smiled, teeth bared and eyes showing her lack of subtly. The air changed around him, he recognized that look. She winked at him, all signs of fear gone from her face as she started looking up at him with her big blue eyes and pouty mouth that made him was to push her against the wall and fuck her there and then. She was his for the taking, and he wanted her so badly right now. He looked away before he got over excited but let go of her hand so he could sneak his hand to her back, letting his hand drop to the top of her jeans and run the tips of his fingers over the exposed flesh.

As the doors to the lift opened, Darcy got out with Jane and Bruce on Level 12. She quickly drew something on his hand. He looked down after the doors shut, and they started moving up again.

_L3 in 5_

He smirked at her note. It wasn't hard to decipher that she wanted him in her room on Level 3 in 5 minutes for some alone time together. He looked at his watch, it was ten past one. The rest of the ride up to Level 1 he tried to calculate how long he could leave before the Avengers got suspicious of his lateness to the mission briefing at 2pm.

Xxxxxx

* * *

For the first time she could remember, Darcy opened the door to her and Jane's apartment to find Clint standing on the other side. She had easily managed to sneak away from the Lab. Jane, Erik and Bruce were all too busy showing Fury and Coulson how the device they developed worked to even notice her slip out of the lab. She quickly headed up to her room and after a few hectic minutes of tidying up, which consisted of hiding her dirty clothes in the wardrobe and making her bed, Darcy had changed into some matching underwear she got when clothes shopping the other day and popped on a robe in case it wasn't Clint when she unlocked the door.

She felt the familiar tightness in her lower belly that happened whenever she saw him.

He was wearing his Hawkeye uniform, or at least parts of it. A tight black t-shirt with no sleeves and his tight black trousers that Darcy didn't know what they were made out of, Kevlar? She didn't care. His black boots were under his left arm and hooked over his right was that black and red vest he wore that made Darcy weak at the knees at the memory of him wearing that on top of the building when they first met, whoever designed that deserved a medal for making it hug tight in all the right places. She gave him her best seductive smile and let him in, shutting the door behind him quickly so no one saw him visiting her quarters. Grabbing the boots and bag out of his hands and dropping them on the floor by the door loudly, she laughed as she took hold of his hand and practically led him into her bedroom. There was no disillusion about what her intentions were. She had demanded sex, and he was here to pay up.

Locking the door behind her, she turned to find Clint looking around her plain, semi-organized room. This was the first time he had ever been in her room. Darcy had stayed there nearly a month but had still done very little with her space, mainly because she spend the majority of nights in Clint's bed and not her own. She had managed to print an old picture of her dad and her at the circus when she was a little girl from a folder on her laptop. She found it helped her stay grounded when she felt herself freaking out about the battle again, which only happened when she was alone, another reason she preferred to sleep over at his. Clint stared at the small photo that Darcy had pinned rather pathetically on the wall with a thumbtack. He was lost in thought when she tugged him by the belt loops, urging him to turn and face her. She stood on her tip toes and kissed him, fingers still hooked in his trousers.

He pressed his lips firmly back on hers, and it wasn't long before they were on the bed, Clint on top, kissing her as she tried to undo the complicated buckle of his utility belt. After a few more futile attempts she growled into his mouth out of frustration and stop trying. Why did he even wear that thing? He knew it would just get in the way! She looked down and spotted the glint of a knife that was attached to the belt. Did he not realize how dangerous that belt was in the bedroom? Darcy hurt herself daily with paper cuts, she could only dread the kind of damage she could do with a knife nearby during sex?

"Take off your pants." She ordered him. He laughed but was happy to oblige. He was after all a disciplined marksman, and this was a direct order. Darcy stripped off her robe as his reward for stripping off his shirt at the same time without having to be told. Good boy, she thought, she liked it when he used his initiative. He was standing at the edge of her bed, looking down at her young soft and curvy body as she looked up at his firm and defined one. He was wearing black boxer briefs that she wanted to pull down with her teeth but she knew they were on a time limit so settled with hastily using her hands instead. She was happy to find him as ready to go as she was when he kicked the dark material to the side.

Sitting on the edge of the bed in front of where he stood, she ran her hands over his bare ass and gave the flesh a double handed squeeze. She loved his behind. It was definitely in her Top 5 on her Favorite Barton Body Parts list. She told him this out loud much to his surprise before taking him in her mouth, pushing him deeper with the hands on his bum.

He gave a mixed sort of moan and laugh that Darcy loved, finding her words both amusing and her actions pleasurable. She felt one of his hands run into her hair. Shit, she loved it when he played with her hair! And the other hand slowly stroked her jaw, keeping it relaxed as she moved back and forward, matching his light trusts. She used her hands to massage him more and pressed him further into her mouth, her gag reflex didn't help but he seemed to really like it when he hit the back of her throat. A few more deep strokes, and it wasn't long before he pushed her onto her back on the bed and grabbed her legs, holding one either side of his waist and hooking her ankles up by his shoulders. She gave a giddy laugh and wriggled her hips so she rubbed against his, only the thin material of her panties between them.

"Condom." He growled at her, and she pointed to her bedside drawer. While he searched for one, she took off her underwear and threw them on top of the lampshade on the table he was currently standing by. Her smile wide and naughty when she watched him look up at the offending object propelled towards him, then heard the groan that escaped his lips. It didn't take him long to find what he was looking for and put on the latex sleeve when he realized what the article of clothing on the lamp meant was waiting for him on the bed.

Soon his weight was on top of her. She loved the pressure of his body on top of hers. Something she used to find smothering with other men, now she found comforting and stimulating at the same time. They both moaned together when he entered her, and she gasped when his fingers began to work on her sensitive spot.

"Fuck!" She whimpered, not able to make very coherent or articulate sentences. "Yes! Fuck me, Clint." She racked her nails along his shoulders as he pumped into her hard and fast. "Harder." Darcy needed more of him; she knew in the back of her head that she was getting as much Clint as she possibly could at that moment in time but all she could think about was how she had to have more, had to have all of him! She repositioned her ankles back up towards his shoulder so he could fill her more and the effect was immediate.

"God, Darcy!" He let his head drop to the crook between her neck and shoulder as he thrust harder. Using one arm under her back to press her against him more and the other supported his weight when he entered her hungrily. Her body was shaking under his, twitching uncontrollably in places and she could feel herself already getting tighter around him as her orgasm built up inside.

"Don't stop." Darcy encouraged him. She knew there was no way either of them were going to stop now, but she still had to say it. "Cum for me, Clint." She bit his earlobe lightly, licking the shell of his ear.

His fingers seemed to work double time as he tried to get her to finish first. Darcy felt her legs spasm and thighs shake as the orgasm washed over her. She wrapped her legs around his hips as she rode it out. She watched in bliss as his eyes clenched shut as his mouth formed a small 'o'. He groaned as he came, and Darcy just loved his orgasm sound, if she could, she would record it and play it back whenever she felt horny or make it his personal ringtone, although that might cause a few awkward questions.

A smile she never thought was going to fade overtook her face as she ran her hands over his damp back and around to his soft chest hair, then back again. His hips gave a little jerk when she trailed her fingers down the lower part of his spine where he had those amazing hot back dimples, right near the top of his bum. She did it again hoping it had the same reaction. It did. She kissed the edge of his jaw, where the hinge was and whispered.

"You better get going. They'll begin to wonder where you got to, Hawkeye."

Clint's eyes glazed over with lust again; he gave her a searing kiss that Darcy was sure would bruise her lips. "Say my name again." A cocky smile appeared on his face, just like the day in New York on top of that random building. She felt herself get hot again under his intense gaze. She was tempted to reach out to her left for another condom but knew they didn't have enough time.

"Oh, Hawkeye." She whispered her voice husky and low, the corners of her lips turned up in a seductive smile.

He growled at her and slowly slipped out of her as he got up off the bed. She sat back on her elbows and watched as he slipped into her bathroom and quickly got cleaned up; he left the door open so she still had an amazing view of his ass.

"So, I was thinking of ways we could use your bow." She mused out loud.

"Oh really?" She laughed at him, which was what he always said when he played along with her random thoughts.

"Yeah, though I think a lot of it would cause rope burn." She pulled her underwear off from the lamp beside her and slid them up her legs, she knew she couldn't wear them out again but she needed to at least try and cover her modesty. She should probably get ready to go back to work as well. Jane would surely notice that she was missing once The Avengers had departed for their mission with the scepter.

Clint popped out of the bathroom and padded over to the edge of the bed closest to her and gave her a light kiss. "You're probably right about that. Rope burn is a bitch." Lord, how did he manage that make that sound sexy?

"Damn, I guess I'll just have to think up something else while you're gone." She smiled before pulling him back down for another kiss, it was a lingering kiss that made it impossible for her to move away from. After a minute of this slow torture, he stood up; releasing her from the kiss she started.

"I need to get dressed before…" She didn't know if he meant before they get carried away and fuck again or before the team begins searching for him. Her eyes flickered over to the clock on her wall and saw it was 1.56pm. She felt selfish for wanting to keep him for another 4 minutes, she dismissed the feeling. He needed to save the world, and although she would spend the whole afternoon worried sick about him, she couldn't stop him.

"Promise me you'll be safe." She begged in a small voice, their foreheads touching.

"I can't." He sounded pained at his inability to make her that promise.

"Then promise me you won't do anything stupid." Darcy requested, her tone a little wittier, trying to lighten the mood.

"I promise." Satisfied with his answer, she patted his cheek with her hand and let him stand up.

"Cool. Well you know where to find me when you get back." She told him, giving him a small wave as he got dressed and headed out of her room. She relaxed her elbows and let herself fall back onto the bed, a huge smile of disbelief still on her face.

Her door swung open once more and she was about to shriek and cover herself when she noticed it was just Clint. He strode over to her and gave her another kiss; unlike their previous one, it was fast and full of tongue, teeth and heat before he moved back again.

"Sorry, I just had to do that one more time." He gave her a sheepish grin before running out of the apartment, now obviously late.

She laughed as she sank back to the bed, covering her eyes with her hands. She was so happy with him, how did she ever get this lucky?

It wasn't until later, when Jane and Darcy were watching the live news stream on the TV that Darcy felt her luck run out.

Xxxxxx

* * *

Clint was running from one of those ridiculous Chitauri aliens. God, there were not enough words to accurately describe just how much he hated them and right now. He was trapped in an abandoned underground passageway which he also hated, thanks to them. He was trapped, away from his team and alien bait. He _really_ hated that.

"Fuck!" He exclaimed as he reached the end of the hallway he was running down, stopping at a boarded up door with various broken tables and chairs stacked against it. He spun on his boots and began to look up for another way out.

This mission was going terribly. He's already dreading the reports he's going have to fill out when he gets back; the only comfort at the chore was that Darcy would be waiting for him, laying on his lap or curled up next to him as he typed every small detail from the mission. She would always be watching some shit made-for-TV movie she'd make fun of, but he knew she secretly loved watching them. S.H.I.E.L.D had over two thousand channels and hundreds of movies and TV shows on demand, and yet, she continuously found the most poorly written and acted thing on and got hooked. He wanted to shake his head at her silly ways but needed to focus on this fuck up.

The second they had confronted them at their base, each member of the team had been targeted and split up by the Chitauri, the aliens seemed to know each of their weaknesses and used it against them. Loki had briefed them that they were smart and had been gathering knowledge, but he didn't think the group would be this organized and efficient. He had managed to kill three of them before they had cornered him and destroyed his bow, snapping it like a twig that made his heart sink. That was his favorite bow. He'd saved Darcy's life with that bow.

He saw Hulk struggling to fight in another abandoned corridor, too big to move around effectively as the aliens climbed over him, jabbing him with unknown objects that seemed to wound his body, even just for a moment. Ironman was having a similar problem, most of his weapons were too destructive to use in such an enclosed space under one of the most important buildings in New York. Clint dreaded to think what would happen if they were the cause of City Hall to cave in on itself. Natasha was having better luck, but they noticed her skill in this close combat style of attack and were ganging up on her. Thor and Captain America had noticed this and joined her in the fight so she wasn't too outnumbered but that still left around eight aliens loose aiming for just him, Tony and Hulk.

Clint climbed up onto a ledge in the passage and jumped down onto the monster following him, after a couple of swings and twists, it fell to the ground, and he snapped its neck with his arms wrapped around the alien's neck, or at least what he guessed was its neck.

He raised his forearm up to his head and wiped away the sweat that was dripping there before there were two more aliens behind him, grabbing each of his arms and holding them to the side. He kicked either side using them supporting his arms to help carry his weight as he aimed at them but it wasn't enough to even make a mark on that weird armour they wore, and soon they were dragging him towards the center of their base. He played along, knowing that getting closer to the power source and back to his team couldn't be a bad thing.

But these Chitauri were smart. As soon as he got back to where the team initially stormed, he saw where they were taking him; he struggled against the two aliens but more joined, having found this turn of events more important than fighting Hulk, who was more of a danger to himself than them. They had embedded the power source into an ancient stone wall; so it was only accessible from one side, like a safe, Clint was reminded of. He ground his feet into the floor, trying fight against them, using their own grip on his arms to flip around, but the new followers grabbed him by the ankles before he had the chance. They placed him in front of the gap in the wall before he could escape, using some sort of alien metal clasps that stuck to the wall instantly to hold him in place, effectively hiding what they were after behind him. The Chitauri then went on to fight the other Avengers, leaving Clint successfully bound and guarding the source of their power, his body a literal human shield.

Clint was panicking. And he didn't panic often. To destroy the power source they would have to use the scepter, but to get to it they would have to get through him. He pulled against his restraints, not liking the familiar feeling of being bound by his hands and feet, but he had to do something! He was literally in the way of their goal.

Black Widow, Thor and The Captain had managed to kill or disable their opponents and Natasha ran over to grab the fallen staff before heading over to where Clint was. Steve and Thor had already reached him, a look of realization on their faces when they discovered Clint standing in front of the prize.

"Get me the fuck down!" Clint's yelling jolted them out of their shock and they went to work, Steve on his left arm and Thor on his right.

Natasha returned a few seconds later, she immediately understood what was happening and swore in Russian.

"This stuff won't budge!" Steve let out a grunt as he failed to move the metal. "Thor, get your hammer."

Thor let go of Clint's wrist and picked Meow-Meow off the floor. Clint couldn't help but laugh pathetically at Darcy's joke name for Mjolnir; he hit his head back on the stone wall behind him, feeling rather hateful of himself in that moment. It just had to be him, didn't it? He was the weak one, the one Loki hypnotized, the one who fell in love with the civilian in less than a week of meeting her, and now he was stuck in this situation. Thor angled the hammer so the impact would mainly be on the metal restraint and not his hand. Then, he swung.

Clint turned his head the other way and winced, waiting for the pain. There was none. He looked around to find the metal only had a small dent on it. Better than nothing, he thought bitterly and he tugged his wrist against it again. It didn't budge.

"Do it again, hurry!" Clint urged the God before looked around at the other battles taking place. "Tash, Tony's struggling." Natasha spun around to see Ironman being pinned to the ground, two of those monsters standing over him.

"I'm on it!" Steve called before she could react and ran over to help. Natasha moved forward and held Clint's clamped left hand, giving it a squeeze. That couldn't be a good sign, he sighed. His heart was beating hard and fast but he just let his head fall back again, how easy would it be to just give up? He wondered.

"Just hold on." She whispered her green eyes wide and panicked. Fuck, that wasn't a good either. Clint knew she was trying to comfort him so he didn't freak out and oddly enough, he wasn't anymore. Sure, he was pissed off that he was in the way of the power source and hated the memory of being captured like this, but he wasn't at all frantic about it. He was trying to focus on other things, like what was happening around them in the fight or Darcy lying on her bed naked this afternoon. Shit, Darcy…

He strained his left hand again, trying to pull it out of the metal hook but it was useless. Thor was hitting the right one, leaving more dents but not loosening it by very much. He looked over at Bruce, no longer in Hulk form, he must have been worn out or Hulk decided he wasn't helpful in such cramped conditions so just fucked off, great. Now Bruce only had one Chitauri looming next to him but it was one too many. Clint quickly analyzed the whole situation, and made a split second decision.

"Thor, help Bruce!" Clint commanded and Thor instantly ran over to the helpless scientist on the ground. Natasha opened her mouth, but he continued to talk, not giving her time to speak. "Tasha, I can get my right hand out. I'm gonna move as far to the left as possible but you need to destroy this thing."

"I'll stab you." She warned although it was clear that was his plan anyway.

"It'll just be a scratch." He winked at her, he yanked hard on his right hand and let out a groan as he felt his wrist joint dislocate. That was good, it actually made things easier, he knew from experience. He heard Bruce scream and looked over in that direction to see him flying through the air into a wall; it cracked and crumbled upon impact. The room they were in was shaking and there were a lot of creaking sounds that Clint could guess weren't a good for the building above the structure. He looked over at Natasha; she was poised with the scepter ready to drive it into the heart of their enemy's power. She had a desperate look in her eyes and licked her lips before setting them in a firm frown. She could do this. He knew she could.

"Tasha. This building can't take much more. You need to do this." She nodded, planting her feet firmly on the ground as she prepared to stab her best friend, probably killing him. Clint took a deep breath in before thinking of Darcy. "Tell her I'm sorry, that this was stupid but I had no choice, okay? Please."

Natasha nodded again, not fully understanding his meaning but knowing it was important enough to tell her.

"I don't see how she can hate you for this." He smiled at Natasha's bittersweet comment before he yanked his right arm once again, he felt a shooting pain and it drop to his side. The worst was still to come, he told himself. He curled up as much to the left as possible but it was difficult in his tough Kevlar vest; even he knew it wasn't enough. He tensed. Was he ready for this?

"Now!" He shouted, although his heart was screaming something completely different.

Natasha hesitated, but it was only a second before Clint felt something pierce his side. He yelled out in pain before grinding his teeth together. The point of the scepter was only driven deeper despite his cry. His eyes were open, trying to stay focused and he was conscious enough to watch with blurred vision as all the aliens fell down to the ground. He smiled tightly through the agony at their success. Darcy would be proud of him, pissed, but proud; it was the last thought before the blackness clouded his eyes and he quickly passed out.

Xxxxxx

* * *

My longest chapter yet!

Thank you all for reading and I'm sorry to leave it on such a cliff-hanger! I'm super busy at work so I hope to publish the next chapter within my usual 4/5 days but I just don't know. Reviews help though, not that I'm hinting… but the box is like right there (point below). Just like one word comments help motivate me to write when I'm tired or know I should be doing my job lol.

Anyway, thanks again and please let know what you think!

Until next time,

Charlie


	13. Chapter 13

Breathe

Xxxxxx

* * *

I want to start this post by sending out a HUGE THANK YOU to my Beta, **Sandra**. I really didn't like this chapter when I wrote it. I wasn't happy with how it flowed or how certain characters came across. She was so supportive and her work on this chapter was amazing, far better than I could ever have done! My favorite parts of this chapters are hers and I'm sure they'll be yours as well. So, thank you, again, for your incredible work and all the time you put into this. You are truly amazing.

I'd also like to say a quick thanks to** TuuliSenka**. Sorry I haven't had time to PM you back, I will asap. Basically, this woman has been helping me with some translations for the sequel to this story (Yes, I've already started a sequel, Darcy/Clint just won't leave me alone!). Your advice and help means so much more than you know and I can't thank you enough for your in depth comments and brilliant support!

Booklover9477 – Thanks, I'm so glad you're still enjoying it. They'll be some different more other character POV's coming up so I hope you enjoy those as well.

Angel Bells – Sorry for the delayed update, I think this chapter will answer a few of your questions. Enjoy! And Thanks for another lovely review.

Katie-Kakes97 – I'm so happy you love my story, I only hope this next chapter lives up to the previous ones!

Little Miss Michelle – Thank, my lady *blushes at the compliment* I hope this one measures up!

Snowspell – Why would I kill Clint? There is not enough hot man arm porn in this world, why would I get rid of his? If I can bring Coulson back from the dead, then I'm sure as hell gonna put up a fight for Clint's life ;-) It won't be an easy path though. You are very perceptive of other characters and their motivation. I hope you like this new chapter and it doesn't let you down! Thanks for another amazing review and sorry for the wait!

Patchan – You'll have to wait and see! Thanks for your review, I'm so glad you're liking my story! Your faith and kindness make me warm and fuzzy inside and I can't wait to hear your thoughts on this chapter. Thanks again.

Rammy2010 – Thank you, I'm glad someone reads my crazy rambling, real life sucks and I'd rather spend all day reading and writing, but I have a job for a reason and although I have crazy busy weeks, it's a great place to work. Anyway... Thanks for your awesome review, I hope you didn't melt from the burning curiosity and calling my chapter 'beautiful' made me blush so hard I had to open a window! Thank you again for your nice comments.

Kritters03 – Sorry for the delay! I hope you didn't suffer too much while waiting for this new chapter. BTW, I totally loved the whole 'awesome chapter girl' thing. I love saying 'you go girl' in my everyday life, i often get weird looks but it's nice to know I'm not the only one who uses the term 'girl' in that way ;-) Thanks for your review, and i hope this chapter lives up to the last!

Alexceasar – Thanks! The action figures scene was one I added when doing the second draft, I saw a gif/interview of RDJ and Mark Ruffalo play fighting with their own toys and had to include it! Thank you for another lovely review and I hope you like this new update!

Guest No.1 – I don't know who you are but that fact that you said 'hawsome' makes me want to have your babies. I hope that doesn't make you feel hawkward... ;-)

Guest No. 2 (A) – I am honored by your complete faith in me, I only worry that I'll let you down now :-S Thanks for your review, I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint you!

Mushroomking98 – You are an evil genius. I'm totally going to include that in this story. Or maybe make it a spin-off one-shot. All credit goes to you. Thanks for another review, I'm so happy you're still liking my fic!

Guest No. 3 – Your review was amazing. I'm so happy that you like Clint's POV, I always worry about male characters thought streams so you're comments made my day! I love the idea of Thor being this wise guy, I never really saw it until watching The Avengers and when he spoke to Coulson on the helicarrier, now I can't stop thinking of him as an old man trapped in a young cut guys body. It's disturbing...

Rebecca Taylor – Once again, thank you for your short but incredibly sweet review. I love you and you're continued support.

Guest No. 4 – Thanks! I want that sunset as well, but the story is only halfway through, there's still plenty of time for them.

RoryBlack2921 – Sorry! Thanks for your review, people don't use the word 'eeek' enough so it made me smile. I hope you like this one too.

CoffeeJunkie33 – I'm sorry for keeping you waiting so long! I know I left it on an evil cliff-hanger but I hope this new chapter makes up for it! Thank you for your lovely review and I can't wait to hear what you think to Darcy's reaction. Enjoy!

Mylove24 – Thank you so much! I'm sure my insecurity over writing is obvious, but it's so nice to hear that you like my versions of Clint and Darcy. I just hope you still think the same at the end of this chapter :-S Anyway, thanks again for another lovely review that not only boosts my confidence, but never fail to make me smile.

Red Writer – There WILL be a Team Hawkeye shirt, but not for some time. I haven't actually written a fangirl scene, I will definitely have to remedy that, thanks for the great idea! Thank you for your comments, and I hope you enjoy this update!

KatanaNightengale – Omg, thank you! I can't tell you how amazing you are for saying that! I wish Darcy and Clint would just be honest and completely open with each other, but they are both waaaay too stubborn *sighs*. I'm so glad to hear you love my story and relate to Darcy, you made this writer very happy with your review, so thank you.

Guest No. 5 – Sorry I made you wait, thanks for the review and I hope you like the next chapter!

Dhauren – Sorry! It was a pretty terrible/brilliant end to that chapter, right? I'm two parts evil, one part obsessive. I didn't mean to make the wait for the next chapter too long, but work got crazy busy recently and I haven't had time to even think about this. I found the idea of the team fighting less of the villains they fought with before, but in a different environment that really strained them. I'm glad it was okay to read, I worried with was too quick or boring or confusing. Anyway, thanks for another amazing review! I totally fan girl over you every time I see a new review from you :-) I hope you like where I go from here!

KennaWynters – First off, I totally love your profile pic, how have I never seen that photo before? Secondly, I'm amazed and completely in awe that you read my whole story in, like, a day! Although I have done that before, it just still surprises me that people are doing it for MY fic! I will have to thank Taryn for promoting my story, and I'm also a total Jeremy addict, hence the arm porn… I actually wrote a list of Darcy's favorite top 5, just so I could make reference to it again, I'll have to include it in a chapter at some point. I digress, thanks for your amazing review and I hope this next chapter doesn't disappoint you!

Phoenixgrl15 – Thank you for another lovely review, I hope you like Darcy's reaction to him getting hurt. Enjoy!

LilMissM – Thank you, you are too kind *blushes* Always seems like a rather strong word… oh, and he will.

Xxxxxx

* * *

Chapter 13

Sometimes Black Widow really hated her job. It was rare, but right now was one of those moments. As she began her mental assessment, she quickly accounted that Banner was down and out. Hawkeye was mortally wounded and getting worse by each passing minute. Minutes they clearly did not have. Captain American and Thor were respectively carrying each of them. Ironman had flown up to the New York skyline to signal a carrier where they were, and she was trying to usher away people with cell phone cameras who were taking photos or recording videos as they made their way out of City Hall's front doors. The way they had entered underground had been blocked during the fight, and there was no other option but to make their presence known.

So much for their secret mission. She had to stop herself from snapping at the public as they yelled questions at her or caused various flashes of light to be set off in her face. She knew swearing and taking out random fans with roundhouse kicks would not reflect well on their new sacred 'Media Image', and although Natasha didn't like Becky, she understood the importance of public support; especially right now, when there has been so much pressure from hierarchy of people above Fury unabashedly threatening to shut The Avengers down. Another reason she currently hated her job.

The attention they were getting from people, and the fake persona she had to play up to was just another extra part of the job now; she's done this before, it's what she's been trained to do her whole life, just never under her own name. She smiled in random directions, trying to explain that everything was okay, just a rough mission. An obvious lie as Banner was bashed up badly, and Hawkeye currently had a giant sharp stick poking out of his gut.

They needed to get out of here and soon. Ironman's voice thankfully came across her intercom and told her that they were landing. She began to wave everyone off in order to leave a big enough space for the helicopter to land. Thor and Captain America were helped in first, quickly handing the injured members of their party over to the medical staff on board. Black Widow jumped on last and turned to face the crowd; with as much effort as she could muster, she placated the media frenzy by plastering a huge bright smile on her dirt and blood smudged face. The two men joined in waving down at fans, their faces complete opposites of their real emotions.

"How bad is he?" Natasha asked, teeth clenched but mouth still in a wide grin.

"Which one?" Steve replied.

"Clint is bad. He was breathing very shallow when I held him." Thor answered. She was surprised at how good his camera face was, even as he spoke those grim facts, then again, Darcy had always joked that Thor was a camera whore.

"Bruce is pretty beat up as well. Doc over there says he'll be fine though. He got off lightly compared to Clint." Steve added.

Natasha watched as various S.H.I.E.L.D Agents were deployed from vans that flooded the streets and began the clean-up of their mission, which entailed, gathering evidence, disposing of the Chitauri, and other tasks that will eventually make it look as if they were never there at all. The team may be a part of the main stream media circuit now, like it or not, but that doesn't mean S.H.I.E.L.D, as an organization, wants any more evidence out there than absolutely necessary to acknowledge their continual existence. She should be down there with them. Instead, she was a waving fool, trying to sell The Avengers to an audience.

The helicopter started to rise, and she finally sat back from the open door. She heard cheering and looked out at Tony who was currently doing back flips and various other stunts in the sky trying to impress the public and distract them from the possible dying members of the team. She had to give Tony credit; the people below loved it, eating up everything he offered from the palm of his hand.

"I think that's enough theatrics for now Stark." Natasha told him over the radio, not in the mood to deal with his egotistical stunts even if it was just for show.

"Roger that." Tony replied, and began to fly alongside them as they headed back to base.

Natasha looked over at the doctors that were surrounding Bruce and Clint. She almost couldn't see them through the sea of people. She ran a hand over her forehead and banged her head hard against the metal wall. She felt the tears forming behind her shut eyes and willed the hot liquid away. She could hardly breathe. In a space of about ten minutes, she had watched a man she had deep, yet, wrong feelings for get hurt, stabbed her best friend and then smiled to the cameras like everything was fine. This was so unlike her. She never got too emotionally attached to missions, to people. She sighed out loud; she indirectly blames Clint, after all, he was the first person to make her open up, take her in and care for her all those years ago. She looked back over at the cot he was lying on. She could see the blood covering everyone trying to fix him. Shit. She'd never seen him this hurt before.

More red on her ledger, she thought hopelessly, not letting the desperation show on her face. Moving her gaze to Bruce, she felt her heart clench, but for different reasons. He was going to be fine, she kept telling herself over and over. He would be fine and then she could try. She would take his advice and try; she made a silent promise to herself. What would she have done if he had been lost before she could really attempt to open herself up romantically and see if there was something with him? Her chest constricted again.

What would she tell Darcy? Natasha was more than certain the message Clint wanted her to pass on was for the young brunette girl. How could she explain the mission going sour and that severely wounding him was the only means of stopping the Chitauri, thus stopping the building from collapsing before anyone else got hurt?

She wanted to laugh. Clint thought he was being so sly when he started dating her, but she could tell something had happened, that his and Darcy's relationship had developed into something more. He now had an air about him that screamed of a man newly in love. She had caught him staring at Darcy on more than one occasion, so had everyone else on the team, but none of them mentioned it.

A sudden wave of fatigue washed over Natasha as she let a few tears stream down her cheeks only to brush them away quickly before anyone saw them. She was a woman in a man's world; any sign of weakness was throwing all her hard work back years in the making.

Thor sat down next to her. "Thank you."

"For what?" She gave a bitter laugh.

"I would not have been able to do what needed to be done." Thor replied in his usual decent manner.

"That says worst things about me than you." Natasha informed him, her tone felt bitter in her mouth.

Thor didn't respond. They sat there in silence for a minute or two, listening to the people around them shout orders at each other, at one point she heard Bruce wake up and speak. He was confused and hurt, a combination that wouldn't end well. The doctors quickly gave him some drugs to keep him calm, and he passed out again.

"I will speak with Miss Lewis." Natasha almost didn't hear Thor's words in the chaos on board but she turned and gave him a small but genuine smile.

"Thank you." Her lips pursed together again. "I should go de-brief Director Fury first-"

"Steve has that covered if I am correct. You should go to him." Thor said, avoiding her gaze, embarrassed at what he was insinuating.

Natasha paused. She often forgot how intelligent and observant Thor was; it was easy to brush him aside as a pretty warrior and nothing more, but she learned very quickly that he was a lot more.

"Thank you." She whispered again and stood up, finally believing she had enough strength to walk over to Bruce. She had to push a few agents out of her way first, but they backed off very quickly when she glared at them. She perched herself next to him and the wall on the other side of the helicopter and slowly, hesitantly, picked up his hand. It was rough and covered in dust, probably from the wall he crashed into.

She finally felt like she could breathe normally as they began to descend, approaching HQ.

Xxxxxx

* * *

The counter of her desk had eleven ink marks on it, Darcy discovered. Right now she was finding the table's surface fascinating, because the alternative was looking up at the television screen to witness the continuous news footage that showed The Avengers after their mission. So yeah, old pen scuffs were the most interesting thing on the planet right about now to Darcy. But as much as she tried, she still couldn't block out the words being spoken by the blonde haired news anchor with the perfect non-accent.

"At this moment in time, we are unsure about what exactly they were doing, but from these videos sent in from viewers, we can clearly see there was some kind of fight that ended with both Dr Bruce Banner, aka The Hulk, and Clint Barton, also known as Hawkeye, being injured." She then went on to talk about the rest of the team, but Darcy was now glaring at the black smudges on her desk, as if she could make them vanish just by staring at them.

Her chest hurt, and she couldn't feel her fingers. It felt like the beginning of another panic attack; only she wasn't weightlessly falling, she felt heavy, like she couldn't get up from her stool. Less than 3 hours ago she was in his arms and now he was… She didn't know what… She had seen it though. Darcy's eyes betrayed her, and she saw the shitty pixelated video someone had filmed from their phone, she had seen Hawkeye. More importantly, she'd seen the scepter protruding from his stomach as Thor was carrying him, trying to stop the weapon from causing more damage at the same time. She felt sick. That scepter had been built in the very lab she was sitting in. She had spent the past three weeks helping them develop it, drawing sketches, organizing notes and schematics about the damn thing and now it was impaled in Clint's body! She felt guilty and ashamed and worried, it was her that joked that it need to be 'pointier'. She could never have imagined this happening.

She wanted to scream, but her throat was too tight to even speak so she sat at her desk, looking anxious but hiding the depth of her anguish from Erik and Jane who were standing in front, backs towards her, eyes glued to the TV. They were discussing what could have possibly happened.

"Maybe he was compromised again?"

"No, Loki is still locked away." Jane disagreed with the older man. Loki wouldn't do that, Darcy defended him in her head.

"Why else would he jump in front of the scepter?" Darcy didn't like Erik's accusing voice.

Jane hissed back at him. "We don't know he 'jumped' in front of anything!" Jane perched herself on a stool on the other side of Darcy's work station. "It could have been an accident. Maybe one of the Chitauri got hold of it!"

Darcy stood up. She needed to get away from this, she was freaking out, and she didn't have her trustee taser to comfort her. The air was too thick to breathe, and she needed to get as far as she could from their speculation. Without a word, she grabbed her laptop and left the room.

Jane and Erik watched her with concerned eyes but didn't attempt to stop or question her.

She walked as far as her legs could take her; she took a route she didn't recognize because it meant there was less chance of running into someone she knew. It didn't go as planned when she heard someone call her name out.

"Darcy?" She froze and turned around, still hugging her laptop to her chest.

"Alex?" It was that linguistics agent from a few weeks back. He seemed nice and friendly at the time, but she really didn't want to see him right now.

He jogged over to her, and Darcy took in his appearance, his hair was shorter, he'd obviously had a haircut since the last time she saw him, and he was wearing a familiar dark blue jumpsuit that all the agents wore when on duty. "What are you doing here?"

"I was at Jane's Lab. I got lost." She lied feebly. "I feel like I've entered the twilight zone of never ending hallways!" She joked, trying to act normal but knowing her eyes were probably red from unshed tears.

Alex raised an eyebrow at her but didn't question her lie. "Well you're still on Level 12, this is the communications development area, and you're usually in science development which is about 6 turns off from here." He smiled at her, and she noticed his slightly crooked teeth. He looked more youthful now, probably more comfortable in his home territory.

"Oh, silly me!" Darcy said, whacking the side of her head comically with her still numb hand, her laptop felt burning hot against her chest. "Any chance you could show me to the nearest elevator?"

"Sure!" He seemed more than pleased to help her out. "I'm on my way to it now as a matter of fact. I need to quickly head down to Level 18 first if that's okay?"

Darcy felt her ears prickle, an idea hitting her. "Level 18? That's where Loki is." She hissed at him. What was he doing with clearance to see him?

"You know about Loki?"

"Of course I do!" Was he serious? Didn't everyone know about him? It was pretty big news to have the biggest most reformed baddy in the building. "That's so weird, I was just thinking about paying him a visit." Darcy made sure her tone was light and slightly amused as she lied again.

"Really?" She couldn't tell if Alex was more shocked or disgusted at her.

"Really." Darcy wasn't thinking straight, but she knew the last place anyone would look for her was with Loki. The plan was already fully formed in her head as she nodded at Alex. "Yeah, have you met him yet?" She asked friendly.

"A few times." Alex answered, his words were hesitant, like he wasn't sure if he could trust her. He shrugged and must have changed his mind because his face suddenly had a charming smile as he directed her to the lift. "I'm actually learning the Asgardian language from him."

"Oh, why not Thor?" This sparked Darcy's interest.

Alex laughed as if he was asked that question all the time. Darcy frowned internally at his arrogant attitude but played along with a big smile. He was taking her where she wanted to go, better play nice, she told herself. "Language is not just about words. It's about history of development and prefaces, for example, to someone learning English the rule of saying 'An' instead of 'A' when the word followed begins with a vowel-" Darcy nodded and smiled along at him as he tried to explain about language stuff that Darcy didn't care about, she made the appropriate noises in the right places and finally they reached Level 18. He had just finished his extremely long winded and boring history of words to her.

"Wow, that's fascinating." She beamed up at him, hoping she didn't look too over the top; she didn't want him to feel like she was mocking him.

Alex looked very smug and clearly pleased with his explanation, and Darcy laughed at a joke he made that she didn't understand.

"So basically, Loki is more intellectual and articulated than Thor, and he has a lot more time on his hands?" Darcy summarized. Alex frowned at her synopsis of his job but agreed none the less. She offended him, but she didn't really care anymore. She had the sneaking suspicion that he needed to be taken down a peg or two on the ego ladder, and he had already taken her where she wanted to go. "Awesome."

They were then swarmed with agents upon the elevator doors opening. One simply handed a disc to Alex then sent him on his way. He looked frustrated that he was dismissed so easily but said goodbye to Darcy and headed back upstairs in the lift.

Darcy on the other hand was searched and scanned nearly 10 times before she was allowed in the door she remembered led to Loki's cell.

"Here you are, Miss Lewis. Just shout if you need anything." She nodded; finding it weird that none of them actually questioned why she was there, only that she wasn't hiding anything dangerous under her baggy sweater and skinny jeans.

"Cool cool." She gave the agent a saluté before standing in front of the intimidating entrance. The door swung open, and Darcy was greeted with a very different scene then she recalled. Loki was still in that giant glass cage but inside it he had book shelves, a desk with a computer on it, a small fridge, a comfortable bed and a La-Z-Boy chair! Darcy always wanted a La-Z-Boy chair but could never justify or afford one and yet, there Loki was, in a pair of black jeans and a dark green dress shirt, chillaxing on what Darcy could tell from the other side of the room was the softest leather known to man.

"Who'd ya have to kill to get such a bitchin' crib like this?" She joked. Loki looked up from the book he was reading a smiled widely at her, happy to see her.

"Miss Lewis!" He called out and stood up. "I was not expecting you today."

Darcy nodded at him, holding out an arm to her side, the other still supporting her laptop. "I was not expecting to come here today." She admitted, although carefully avoided giving him an explanation. "Whatcha reading?" She was being overly casual, she told herself, and she needed to reel it back if she wanted to seem normal.

Loki looked at his discarded book. "Death of a Salesman." His lips quirking up around the edges with amusement.

Darcy laughed; she studied that book in school for English Lit. She enjoyed it and found it incredibly appropriate for Loki and his past. "Are you liking it?" She asked carefully, trying to sound sensible and not snort at her own words.

"I only started it a few moments ago. From your reaction, I assume you are familiar with the play?" Darcy nodded then stood awkwardly silent, waiting for something to happen. Loki's eyes took in her appearance and sighed after a while. "Why are you here, Miss Lewis?"

"I wanted to show you something." Darcy slowly moved closer to the glass wall, Loki followed her suit and moved towards the large window that separated them. She sat down on the ground by his feet and set her laptop on the floor angling it so they could both see the screen. She quickly typed in her password and opened the internet homepage.

Loki was still standing on the other side of the see through barrier but cautiously lowered himself down and crossed his legs in a similar manner as Darcy. He shot her a begrudging look but shifted to make himself more comfortable.

Her fingers skimmed over the keyboard, taping the keys she wanted and pulled up the website she knew all too well.

"Do you have animals on Asgard?"

"A few. Most are ghastly." His tone was repulsed, yet, he leaned forward to see the screen closer. "What is this creature?" Darcy giggled as he pointed at the picture on the screen.

"That is a kitten." Darcy smiled brightly at the adorably cute animal. "But it's wearing a frog hat!" She was almost giddy with excitement at the delightfulness of tiny furry pet.

"A kitten?" Loki seemed perplexed and highly intrigued at the same time.

"It's a baby cat."

Loki nodded, seeming to understand. "Oh, okay… and what is a cat?"

Darcy laughed so loud that the door swished open, and an agent walked in to check on her. She was sprawled on her side, holding her stomach as she tried to breathe in between fits of laughter; she tried to convince herself that the tears were from laughing so hard, but she couldn't believe her own lies. Loki just remained crossed legged by the glass wall, confounded at why his question was so funny to this strange mortal.

Xxxxxx

* * *

She didn't know how long she spent sitting on the hard floor with Loki looking at delightfully adorable baby animal pictures before someone discovered her, although her laptop battery was nearly dead; so it must have been over an hour. She knew it was only a matter of time and with those little ear pieces every agent wore, it only took one question.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Darcy's head shot up at the angry words, feeling instantly guilty. The thing she was trying so hard to forget hitting her full force.

"Agent Romanoff." Loki greeted her politely, a wide smile on his face that she didn't appreciate one bit.

"Shut up." Natasha didn't look at him as she spoke. "Darcy, we're leaving."

"Is he…" Darcy couldn't bring herself to say the words. She closed the lid of her laptop and picked it up, tucking it safely under her arm as she stood up on wobbly feet, she'd been sitting in the same position for a while now.

"Do you even care?"

Darcy couldn't stop the sneer from forming on her face as she stormed out of the holding cell without another word. Loki didn't say anything, and Darcy assumed it was because he already knew, he somehow always knew what was going on in the damn building. She was fuming as both woman brushed past security and stepped onto the elevator. As soon as the doors shut, Darcy turned to the taller and much scarier woman.

"Of course I care!" It didn't take long for the tears to start falling from her eyes. "How could you even ask that?"

Natasha refused to meet the younger woman's eye line, her gaze focused on the metal doors and her hands behind her back as if she was on parade. "You do?" A perfectly shaped eyebrow rose. "You have a curious way of showing it."

Darcy couldn't stop the rush of anger as she threw her computer to the floor, not caring about any damage. "Well I'm sorry I'm not strong like you! I'm not built like you with an instantly coping mechanism!" She was practically screaming at her, the hot tears burning a wet path down her face. She could taste the salt as she spoke. "I don't know how to deal with this! Tell me how and I'll do it, but right now just the thought of him-" Her voice cracked. She swallowed and tried again. "The thought of him hurt is too unbearable to even think about. I'm sorry, but I'm selfish!"

"He's struggling through." Natasha's lip twitched as she spoke. Darcy didn't know what to say to that. Her heart felt just as painful as before, shouldn't it feel better to know he's at least managing to stay alive after whatever the hell happened? "So you need to stop being selfish and be there for him."

"What happened?" Darcy whispered, her body shaking with the left over adrenaline from her previous outburst.

"They strapped him in front of the only possible access to their power source."

A strangled noise escaped her throat. Did that mean what she thought it did? "So you went through him to destroy it?" Her words were practically a whimper as the scene played out in her head. He must have been so scared. Breathing was becoming harder again, and she felt dizzy as they moved up the floors quickly. "Oh god!" She was hyperventilating. "Was it you? Did you…"

Natasha closed her eyes slowly and didn't open them. That was enough of an answer for Darcy. The shame Black Widow tried to hide behind her eyes was as good as a written confession in blood. Clint's blood, Darcy snarled.

"He said 'Tell her I'm sorry, it was stupid, but I had no choice.'"

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Darcy turned her back to the spy. "This was his choice? He let this happen!" Bile rose in the back of her mouth as this new information sunk in and the elevator stopped. Darcy looked at the floor they were on, Level 8. The Emergency Hospital Bay.

She couldn't go in there.

She wasn't brave like Clint. She felt weak and pathetic. He was willing to get killed in the line of duty and for the good of the country, but she couldn't even step foot on the floor he was fighting for his life on.

"Go see him."

"No. I can't." Darcy was shaking her head, she felt childish, but if she moved out and onto that floor, then she would be accepting that he was really hurt and she couldn't do that.

"I can't make you. But if you really care for him half as much as he cares about you, just imagine what kind of pain he'll be in when he wakes up and _you're_ not there. " Natasha walked out the lift and headed towards some big double doors to the right.

Darcy watched as the strong willed woman disappeared from view. She felt envious of her strength, wishing she had the courage to stand by Clint, to hold his hand and stroke his hair, whispering her love to him.

No, she couldn't do that. If she admitted her feelings now and he died… She let out a sob as the elevator doors closed, sealing her decision.

She continued to shake her head and mutter to herself as more tears started to form in her eyes as she headed up to Level 3.

"I'm not good enough." She whispered to herself as she scooped up her battered laptop and staggered slowly towards her room. Ignoring Jane and Thor's worried looks and questions when she walked through the living room and headed straight to her bedroom. She dumped the laptop on her desk and turned off the lights before crawling under the bed covers. She reached over and pulled the top of the duvet up to her nose. It smelled like him. Only this afternoon they had been together, and she had felt like the luckiest girl in the world. Now she couldn't even bare to live in her own weak skin.

She cried herself to sleep, her dreams full of nightmares as she watched Clint get stabbed by each Avenger in an underground room before them turning on her, the scepter now in her hands, drenched in Clint's blood. Was she was the one who stabbed him? They seemed to think so, before pushing her off the edge of Stark Tower. She didn't know how she got there from the basement, only that now she was falling again with no hope of being saved.

She didn't stir from her restless sleep until then next morning when she heard a man cough. She opened her eyes to discover Director Fury standing at the end of her bed.

The only thing that ran through her foggy sleep-induced brain was one word.

"Fuck."

Xxxxxx

* * *

Another chapter done! I hope you liked it and please don't hate me! *Runs for cover* I know this was a shorter chapter, but the next one is longer, I promise, and it hopefully won't take as long to upload as work has calmed down now.

If you enjoyed reading it then please spare a second to give me a comment or review. The box is just there and they mean the world to me!

Thank you,

Charlie


	14. Chapter 14

Breathe

Xxxxxx

* * *

Kritters03 – I'm so happy you look forward to my updates. I can't believe how loyal and lovely everyone is in the 'ship. Thank you for reviewing and, as always, I hope you like this chapter!

Patpat – Omg, I did not expect such distain for Natasha! I have a total soft spot for Loki and her as characters but they will never get on in my mind so her reaction felt really normal to me. Thank you for your compliment, I'm so glad you like my writing! I hope you enjoy reading this chapter and your opinion of Natasha gets better as I really didn't mean people to hate her :-(

Angel Bells – Darcy is being selfish. Hopefully you'll like her a bit more by the end of this chapter. *fingers crossed* Thanks for your review, I love seeing your reaction to each chapter!

Cybernetic Mango – First off, I love your username. Second, badass Darcy is awesome, I will definetly be writing more of that! Thanks for your review and comments, I really hope you like this next chapter! Thanks again.

Booklover9477 – Have I told you how awesome you are lately? I don't think I have so I'll say it now. YOU ARE AWESOME! I hope you like this new chapter and I loved reading your thoughts/opinions (some of which are totally true). Thank you again! P.s. You are awesome.

Guest No 1. – I enjoy Loki and Darcy too. They are so much fun together, I got into Darcy/Loki fics first so they will always have a special place in my heart, which reflects in my story. I wish I could write them as a 'ship, but for some reason I can't. Anyway, I'm glad you liked the last chapter and hope this one lives up to your expectations! Thank you for reviewing.

Lenetra – Hello. I knew there would be a little hate for Darcy and how she reacted, but I honestly couldn't write her character instantly being okay and going to him. It just felt too perfect and she's young and flawed and not able to handle this much so quickly, so I'm so happy you felt that as well! Fury is a sneaky bastard, that is all I'm going to say on that! Thanks again for another amazing and lovely review, I love reading you thoughts, they never fail to make me smile and am so glad you're still liking my story!

Belanna – Thank you! I'm glad you liked that chapter, I was so worried because of Darcy's reaction that people wouldn't like it. I hope you like this new chapter and thanks for reviewing the last.

Katie-Kakes97 – Thank you, you certainly know how to flatter someone *blushes*. I hope you like this new chapter and where I'm heading with this and as always, thanks for your wonderfully lovely review, I cannot tell you how much they mean to me!

Rammy2010 – Well, don't say I never give you anything! I hope you like this chapter ;-) Fury is a sneaky bastard, that is all I'm willing to say about that... Thanks for your review! I love reading them and hope you like this new chapter!

LilMissM – I'm sooo glad you got Darcy's reaction, I was so worried everyone would be angry at how I wrote it, but although it's disappointing, she's very young and confused, this is an extreme she never thought she'd have to deal with so of course she'd 'freak out' as she is so inclined to do. I'm sorry for the long wait for the new chapter but thanks for sticking with me!

Alexceasar – Thank you! I'm glad you're liking my fic and where it's going. I hope you still like it after this chapter! Thanks for another review, I really cannot tell you how much I love reading what you think.

Muchroomking98 – I like arguments as well, and angst... I'm a complete sucker for self-deprecation... if you hadn't noticed by now lol. Sorry for the long update but I hope you like reading it! Thanks for another fantastic review, I cannot thank you enough for your constant love and comments :-)

Jamie – Thank you for reviewing, I'm so happy you like my story! *blushes at compliment*

Guest No 2. – Thanks for reviewing but you'll have to wait and see! (Although you won't have to wait very long). I hope you like the next chapter!

Troubleswithtribbles – First off, I totally love your username. Second, I know what you mean! I love reading your reactions so thank you for reviewing, I hope you like what I've done with the next chapter!

KennaWynters – Omg, I totally understand, I write and think 'is anyone actually going to understand what I'm doing?' I'd love to read your stuff, you should totally post it, especially if it involves Clint Barton as I'm completely addicted to Jeremy Renner as well! If this community has taught me anything, then it's everyone is really supportive and friendly. Thank you for your amazing comments, I hope you enjoy reading this chapter as much as i enjoyed writing it!

Risalyn – Thank you for your lovely review, you are so amazing I can't tell you how much I appreciate what you said. That was the shortest chapter I posted since like chapter 5 and I was really worried about what people would think, so to hear that you loved the emotion of it all made my day! Thank you so much and I can't wait to hear what you make of this one! Enjoy!

CoffeeJunkie33 – Sorry for the long wait but I hope this chapter is worth it! There's lots of Clint POV coming up so I can't wait to hear what you make of his thoughts on the whole situation. Also, you are very wise and perceptive but you will get some answers in this chapter. Thank you for another lovely review and I really hope you like this update!

Mylove24 – It's sad, I love angst but writing some of this stuff made me wish I could have made it easy for them, but alas, I couldn't. I hope you like this new chapter, although the angst is still there... sorry! Thanks for the review, I certainly feel like i have your love 24/7, (Sorry again, i couldn't resist).

Phoenixgrl15 – I can't believe how many people thought Natasha was being harsh on Darcy. I thought she was very true to character and maybe this whole thing will help Natasha and Darcy grown closer... or Natasha will just murder Darcy in her sleep for breaking Clint's heart... who knows! I'm glad you still like the story even with all this angst, and I hope you like this new chapter too. Thank for taking a moment and giving me another lovely review.

Dhauren – I like the weird coping mechanisms, they are most certainly the best :-) I'm sorry to let you down with Darcy's freaking out, but I felt like it was a very natural reaction for her and honestly couldn't write her any other way (I did try!). Darcy knows she's dealt with this the wrong way and will certainly try and make things better, weather she does it the best way or not is still to be questioned... Thank you for reviewing again, I love reading your thoughts on my story, it's a honour that you read my fic when I spend evenings re-reading yours! You are the reason behind my dysfunctional relationship between Darcy and Loki in this story btw (I also want to take a moment and beg you to write more of Will You Go Out, I know you only posted a new chapter last week but Bruce and Darcy are my new obsession!). Fan girling over. I hope you like my update!

Thanks to my wonderful Beta, Sandra. I could never have imagined this story being as rewarding as it is without you.

Xxxxxx

* * *

Chapter 14

Clint felt foggy. There was no other way to place the feeling that he awoke to except foggy. His legs felt heavy and his mind felt drained. His chest... He couldn't feel his chest, an odd sensation, considering he could feel his weighty limbs. It was like they weren't attached to his body anymore, because he couldn't sense the core they were all connected to. Emotionally, he was desperate; he had done a stupid thing. He couldn't remember what exactly, but he knew he'd done something wrong. So he needed to make sure Darcy would forgive him. She had to…

A soft moan managed to escape his lips. He closed his mouth and tried to wet his lips, but he was met with an equally parched tongue.

"Darcy?" He was able to call out, his voice so croaky it was barely above a whisper. He needed to make sure she'd forgive him, he kept thinking. That's all he needed… and maybe some water.

His eyes slowly opened, a little at first, trying to adjust to the light. He blinked and opened them wide with the second attempt, they watered as an automatic reaction, and he let the cool liquid build in the corner of his eyes, he didn't have the energy to wipe them away

The fog lifted as he saw the familiar ceiling of the medical bay. The harsh lighting and the itchy sheets began to irritate him on the realization he must be badly injured. Of course he was, Clint gasped as he remembered what happened and tried to look down at his stomach, expecting the worst, but his head didn't want to work with his mind and lay flat against the uncomfortable pillow. Fuck, he was so tired, his eyes wanted to drift shut, but he forced them to stay open.

"Darce?" He asked again, where was she?

He took a couple deep breaths in and out, trying to calm himself at Darcy's lack of presence, but the panic only increased when he couldn't feel the air filling or escaping his lungs. It was strange, like the feeling you get from a foot from staying crouched in one position for far too long, numb, only this was worse. They must have him on some pretty strong pain killers, he mused giving into the haziness.

He waited. He listened to the beeps of various machines and the scuffling of people outside the room, unable to look up and around at his surrounds which was enough to drive him insane, but he just waited; he'd waited longer than this before, he was trained to be patient after all. He began to busy his mind, so he didn't fall asleep; he wanted to be conscious when Darcy came in. He tried to replay the last events he could remember, picking through the details as he began to debrief himself.

The fight. That one Chitauri that lead him astray. The two that pulled him back. Those cuffs on his wrists and ankles. He remembered the sound of Thor's hammer by his head, trying to break them, a truly terrifying prospect. Clint couldn't help the wince that overpowered his face as he remembered the feeling of the scepter enter his side all over again. Clint wasn't the kind of guy who said 'if only', it wasn't in his nature, and he knew it never did any good; so instead, he began to think of each mistake they had all made, which led to this current outcome, and how they could improve upon it the next time. Clint groaned, he _really_ hoped there wasn't a next time.

He heard the door open at the end of the room and managed to lift his head this time, his strength slowing coming back to him.

"Darcy?" He spoke hopefully before he could stop himself. It wasn't her, he thought, dropping his head back on the pillow. Where was she?

Natasha gave him a weak smile and shut the door carefully behind her, being as quiet as always.

"It's just me." Clint gave a bitter laugh at her.

Clint clenched his teeth; there was the beginning of what is now a shooting pain that ran up his right side. It was worse when he breathed in. The fogginess that was lifting must have been masking it all.

"Where's Darcy? Is she okay?" Why wasn't she here? He asked himself. Was someone stopping her from coming? Had anyone even told her he was- He forced himself to stop thinking like that as he tried to keep his voice as level as possible. He couldn't see Natasha, but she slowly walked to the side of his bed, the left side, he noted, obviously not wanting to be near the damage she caused, he mused.

"You should be worrying about yourself."

Deflection. She was avoiding answering him; he was forced to let it slide as the truth hit him. Darcy was fine, Natasha would have been straight with him if something was wrong. Her avoidance meant one thing and one thing only. Darcy knew he was hurt, but didn't care enough to visit him. She didn't care. He bit back the harsh laugh that threatened to escape his cracked lips. "She's not coming, is she?" It was a self-deprecating thing to ask. He wasn't going to like the answer either way. She wasn't here now and that's what hurt the most.

The ache in his chest was not caused by the wound. This cut much deeper. She'd taken his heart, and she didn't even want it. It was a bitter moment of realization, now he knew that she was just using him and didn't feel the same way. She didn't even care enough to check that her _fuckbuddy_ wasn't damaged too badly. The words were angry and spiteful in his head, and he squeezed his eyes shut, trying to block out the betrayal of his heart. How did he let her in so easily when she didn't open up at all? How did he miss the signs that she wasn't in love with him? Because there were none, he told himself, she had the perfect poker face, and she didn't even know it. She said the right things at the right moments, her long, intense looks during and after sex made him believe in a lie. She couldn't love him, but he just didn't see it until now.

"How could I be so stupid?" He asked, mostly to himself.

"Give her time." Natasha smoothed out a stand of his hair that was sticking up randomly. After, he moved his head to the side and watched her pouring a glass of water into a cup on the nightstand. This was becoming a familiar occurrence for them now. Only this felt much worse.

"How much more can I give her?" The Russian spy placed a soft thin plastic straw to his lips, and he took a small sip, using the moisture to replenish his mouth before taking another draw and swallowing the soothing liquid, taking it as a small comfort. "I guess love really is for children." He coughed, his throat not quite used to drinking just yet.

"And fools." Natasha added to his words, an upgrade to her usual saying. Clint felt his eyebrows rise at her comment. Something had certainly happened to change her strong opinion on love. He remembered watching as Bruce was thrown across the old abandoned room underground, smashing hard against that wall. It was a bad hit, Clint hoped he was okay.

"How long was I out?" He asked, trying to build a mental timeline of events.

"It's been 14 hours. They patched you up good and quick, but you were pretty bad." She put the cup and straw back to his mouth, he grasped the straw with his lips, feeling like a child. So it was Tuesday now, around 8 in the morning if his math was correct.

"How's the rest of the team?" Looking up to study her green eyes, it was a loaded question, and she could take it however she wanted, but he wanted to read her feelings on the way she answered.

"Tony, Steve and Thor are fine. Tony's suit is a little banged up, but it's nothing he can't fix." Natasha's eyes darted to the jug containing the water and looked back to Clint, a relatively normal thing to do, but not for Natasha. She was always so focused, her eyes penetrating anyone she wanted even when telling the worst news imaginable. Now, she looked like a lost child, not knowing her place in the world. Her opinion of love invaded his brain again. "Bruce is fine. He's awake. A few broken ribs, but The Other Guy is helping speed up then healing."

"Guess that's a point in his favor." Clint mused earning a glare from her. "Look at us. A couple of fools in love." He knew it was over the line, but she wouldn't physically hurt him when he was already wounded. Lying in that bed was practically a free pass to do or say as he liked, and he wasn't going to miss the opportunity.

"It's not love." Black Widow snapped at him. Her eyebrows knitted together and her mouth set shut. He knew that expression. Doubt. She doubted her own words.

"Whatever it is, he needs you more than I do." Clint started to pull away from her. He wanted to mope for a while, lick his own wounds over Darcy and her absence, and Natasha would make that more difficult.

"Clint-" She started when the door opened and Coulson walked in.

"Agent Romanoff." He greeted with a curt nod. "Agent Barton, how are you feeling?" He asked in that low, oddly soothing voice.

"It's just a scratch, sir." Clint managed a smirk at the older man. "We'll nearly have matching scars." He added with fake enthusiasm and a wink.

"Almost." Phil dragged a chair over front the corner and placed it by his injured side, taking a seat and crossing his legs, he was very relaxed in this moment, a little too relaxed. Clint narrowed his eyes at him.

"What is it?" He asked, sighing. This wasn't going to be good.

"Nothing. Just an order from Fury."

"Can't it wait?" Natasha practically spat. "He's a little indisposed at the moment." Clint didn't have to look at her to see the anger on her face.

"Hang on." Clint warned her. "What is it?" He could tell by the glint in Coulson's eye that this wasn't bad news.

"Agent Saint Anna will be arriving in the next hour." Coulson looked very happy at this fact, his usual stern face bright with a smile.

Clint rolled his eyes, one of the few things he could move. "I'm fine, she'll get pissed if we keeping dragging her back here for every paper cut one of us gets!"

"She offered." Phil said simply, holding his hands up at his sides as if he was completely innocent.

"She only offered, because you probably called her." Natasha accused. Natasha really didn't like Saint Anna. She was an overly emotional person with an annoying way of making people love her because of all the good things she did. Natasha knew they sounded like really petty reasons to dislike someone, but she always had a problem with flawless people and what they were trying to hide under all those so-called _selfless_ good deeds. Not to mention the way she always fawned over Clint whenever he was nearby. For Christ's sake, Saint Anna might as well be a fangirl wearing a t-shirt with Hawkeye's face on it; it was pathetic and unprofessional to crush like a school girl on a work colleague.

"It was our monthly debrief. She did ask how you were doing, yes." Phil explained slowly looking directly at the man in the bed, manipulating his words the same way he manipulated Saint Anna and her crush on Clint to their advantage. "She er… also asked how I was coping after she healed me. All I did was tell her the truth."

"You're a dick." Clint accused him.

Coulson just brushed an imaginary bit of dust from his knee. "You're hurt. We need you back in the field and in the public eye as soon as possible." He clasped his hands in his lap, and Clint really hated him in the moment. Why couldn't he just let he be as wounded on the surface as he felt inside? Clint just wanted to lie in that bed and be angry at the world, was a day of resentment and brooding too much to ask? Yes, he told himself, he had responsibilities and duties; he can't just turn his back on them because he was having a bad day.

"Why?" He dreaded to ask, he hoped it would be an amazing mission that he could sink his teeth into like before, but he knew better than that now. He was just product that S.H.I.E.L.D and Becky needed to sell.

"The fans are worried. We've booked you for your first interview for tomorrow morning, 'Live! With someone and someone'." Coulson tried to sound positive to motivate Clint, but failed, . "We need you looking and acting the part, a gaping gut wound tends to hinder the 'dream boy' image."

Clint turned his head back to the ceiling he detested. It was the same matte silver metal he remembered, same as the walls. It looked easy to clean and that always disturbed him.

"Fuck the dream boy image. I didn't sign up for this shit." His arms and legs were feeling less heavy, and he was tempted to see if he had regained enough energy to storm out of the room. He was itching to hide, to sneak away to one of his nests in the rafters and just watch people walk by for hours on end, like he used to. The idea of people watching him and his every move made him anxious. He preferred to be anonymous, the one observing from afar, and this new job was anything but.

"You think this was anyone's plan?" Phil had a point. S.H.I.E.L.D was supposed to be a secret organization, no one was meant to know about Gods from different planets or men who could turn into monsters with rage. The only people that were meant to be in the spot light were Captain America in the 40's, because he was meant to motivate patriotism and faith so people would buy war bonds, and Tony...well Tony because he was so egotistical _not_ to be known in every household as not only a billionaire genius philanthropist but also a superhero. "None of us were prepared for this much publicity or fame. But we pay you to shut up and deal with it. So do your job." Phil stood up, and for the first time in the years they worked together, Clint thought he looked tired. He had had a tough month like the rest of them, but they always managed to keep face and take it all in stride. It seemed this was the final straw, for not only him, but Agent Coulson as well.

"Yes sir." The air was thick with tension, and from experience, three hostile agents in a small room never ended well.

As if aware of the perfect time to interrupt, Agent Saint Anna walked through the door. Her dark skin and long black hair were a stark contrast with the white doctor's jacket she wore. The smiling face Clint remembered was gone, replaced with a look of worry and fear, her eyes wide as she rushed over to the bed next to Coulson.

"Oh gosh! I heard it was bad but this is terrible!" She grabbed his right hand, and he felt warmth rush up each of his joints. She was already trying to fix him; it was a relief but it felt unnatural, Clint didn't like it one bit. He looked over at Natasha, his eyes begging for help but she only rolled her own in response and muttered something in Russian that Clint didn't know.

"It's nothing." He said, hoping it was flippant enough so she would stop talking but not too rude to cause offence. "Thanks for coming." He reminded himself of his manners, she did after all only have his health in mind. He watched her face darken with a blush, and her concern for his wellbeing wasn't just on a professional level.

"It's not nothing." Damn, so much for flippant… He thought bitterly while giving her a big fake grin. "I can feel it…" She pulled back the bed covers, and Clint was surprised to see his side wrapped tightly in bandages that were stretched so tightly they were more likely to be classed as a tourniquet, blood seeping slowly out staining the white with each breath he took.

"Fuck!" He swore loudly. He didn't know if the pain was worse now because he could see the damage or if the drugs had finally run their course.

"They told me the work they did was only temporary. They weren't able to fix much but I didn't think it was this bad or I would have come sooner." Saint Anna's voice was distant as she began to peel back the bandages. Clint could see the concentration in her green eyes as she worked. "I need you to be strong for me, Clint. This will only work if you don't fight it, okay?" Her words were too vague for his liking, and he didn't like making promises to things he didn't know all the facts about. He looked over her bent shoulder to find Coulson in the back still, the only other person he knew that had had Saint Anna work her mystical healing on before. His lips were thin, and his forehead was scrunched up into several lines; he looked pale as he was probably remembering his own experience silently.

He nodded as he spoke. "Focus on something else. It makes it easier."

"Fuck…" Clint repeated this time more to himself. Advice like that never meant an easy ride. It must be really bad if Coulson was telling him to think of anything else but this. "Okay." He took another deep breath in, which cause a stab of pain in his gut, it was getting worse. Agent Saint Anna's healing began slowly, but it took out all the drugs from his system first, so nothing would mask the injuries before she really started her work. This would all be over soon, he just had to focus; he repeated this mantra as Natasha and Phil left the room, leaving Saint Anna to work by herself.

"You can do this." Anna's words were closer to his ear than he remembered them being before. He opened his eyes, unsure of when he closed them, and saw her face inches away from his. "It won't take long." She hadn't finished her last word before he felt an excruciating burn sear through his stomach.

He managed to raise his head for a second and saw a glowing blue surrounding Saint Anna's hands and his stomach looked as if it was frozen under a mist.

He couldn't keep his head up any longer and dropped it down, his teeth clenched as he drove his head as hard as he could into the pillow. He was choking and groaning as the raw ice that was gnawing away at his insides.

"Fuck!" He cried out again, his teeth clenched so hard he feel his jaw lock.

"Clint, you need to relax!" Anna cried over his shouts. He felt himself gasp and jolt from the bed, trying to get away from the pain. This was worse than the original stab that got him into this mess, he thought bitterly. "Think of something else." She urged.

"Darcy?" He wondered how she knew Darcy's name until he realized he was the one crying it out.

"Think of Darcy." Anna encouraged him. "What color are her eyes?" Clint couldn't help the scream that tore out of his throat as he felt a rip inside his chest. "Oh, I'm sorry, his eyes?" She didn't sound as confident in her question now as her voice wavered. He wanted to laugh at Anna's hurried misunderstood words.

He thought of him and Darcy together this afternoon, or was it yesterday afternoon now? He didn't know. The feel of her soft skin under calloused hands. The curve of her voluptuous body pressed against him. The sound of her laugh as he rushed back to steal another kiss. The spark in her blue eyes when she lay under him, gazing up.

"Blue. Her eyes are blue." The words were gargled. His eyes were closed shut again and his fists in the bed sheets held their tight grip, but his breathing became more even as he spoke, enough so Anna could work.

"Good, how did you meet?" Anna pried, the chilling sensation was subsiding, but there were still various random pulls and tugs that caused him to clench up and moan through gritted teeth.

Now there was a tricky question to answer. They unofficially met each other on that rooftop in New York City the day Loki released the Chitauri. They formally met in the debriefing room that evening with everyone. But where they really met? That glimpse of her in New Mexico didn't count; he was too busy paying attention to the blonde He-Man wannabe to really notice her back then, merely acknowledging her existence but not needing to know more than her name and threat level, which was assumed to be a 1.

No, the first time Clint Barton met Darcy Lewis was the day of the picture that was pinned up on her bedroom wall with thumb tacks. It was the day her and her father went to the circus. The day William Lewis had recruited him to S.H.I.E.L.D. Or, as Clint liked to think of it, the best day of his life, the day that changed his fate forever.

Yes, he met the woman he loved now over fifteen years ago, on the happiest day of his life. If there was such a thing as destiny, Darcy had proved more than once that she was his.

Xxxxxx

* * *

"Fuck indeed." Director Fury stated as his lone eye rolled over each surface in her bedroom with mild distain and boredom, obviously not used to the sight of a twenty three year olds idea of tidy, which was a bit below what Darcy expected a middle aged man's standards to be. For example, her clothes that she had shoved in her wardrobe had managed to win in their battle with the doors and were now spilled over in a heap on the floor.

"How can I help you?" Darcy managed to squawk, trying to regain some of her dignity as her eyes adjusted to the light.

Fury was just standing there, arms crossed behind his back as he examined her small, messy room. He was wearing that long leather jacket that Darcy was certain must be permanently attached to him somehow, because she had never seen him without it. Maybe he was hiding wings or a tail underneath it? Wings would be cool, but a tail would be… Ew. Darcy tried not to get distracted by her own thoughts as she shifted uncomfortably in her bed, hoping he wouldn't show her the tail she was now certain he was hiding.

"I'm here about a rather delicate subject." It looked like the words he spoke left a bitter taste in his mouth. Uh oh, Darcy swallowed and sat up straighter in the bed, glad she fell asleep last night in her work clothes, although she was certain her make-up was a mess of smudges and tear streaks down her face.

"Should I get dressed?" She asked awkwardly, grimacing at a potentially stupid question.

"Please." Was the only response she got before he turned and left the room, his coat bellowing out behind him. That must be why he wore it because she didn't spot a tail, Darcy mused before jumping out of bed and running to her small attached bathroom.

She was right about the make-up; she looked like a train wreck! She began to scrub the old mascara and eye line off her face with a wash cloth. It always surprised her that the little make up she did wear somehow managed to increase over night and cover half her face in the morning. Her hair was a mess; she decided not to even touch it with a brush out of fear and just tied it back with a scrunchy she found on the side of the sink.

She stripped out of her crinkled blouse; she sprayed some deodorant and picked a smart looking dark red shirt from the top of her wardrobe. Her trousers looked alright, and she didn't want to keep the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D waiting any longer than necessary; so she made do and slipped some flat shoes on before heading out.

"Morning!" She greeted the older man cheerily, remembering her manners now that her brain was less hazy with sleep than before. She noticed Agent Hill had currently taken a seat on the sofa in front of her and Jane's TV and smiled at her. She wasn't wearing that usual blue jump suit; instead, she was dressed in a black suit with a light pink shirt under her jacket. Darcy couldn't decide if that was scarier or not.

"Please take a seat, Miss Lewis." Agent Hill gestured to the chair on angle to hers. Fury was standing behind the sofa Maria was sitting on, leaning along the back with outstretched arms. Fuck, he looked intimidating like that. Did he know how intimidating he looked right now? Darcy had to suppress a squeak as she walked over to the chair. Her mind getting more and more freaked out with each step closer she took.

Shit. What has she done? Where they firing her? Now that Jane had finished helping Bruce and Erik with her knowledge of spacey stuff and that second scepter had been made and used, where did that leave them? They couldn't get rid of Jane; she was Thor's girlfriend, there was no way they were booting her out of fear they'd lose The God of Thunder as well. But her? Darcy was dispensable. Dispensable and breaking the rules by sleeping with one of their top agents. She knew they couldn't keep it secret forever. They wanted her gone and she understood why.

She wondered why she just hadn't seen it coming.

Darcy sat on the soft chair slowly, feeling very small when she put her arms on the cushioned arm rests, but then she changed her mind and held them in her lap, smoothing out all the winkles that didn't disappear despite her efforts. Why did she have to be wearing the trousers she'd been sleeping in?

"As I'm sure you're aware, The Avenger's mission yesterday was successful but didn't go quite as planned."

Darcy felt her forehead crinkle up. Why were they telling her this? She had nothing to do with the mission. "I'd be worried if two unconscious superheroes _were_ ever meant to be part of a plan." She commented, feeling her defences rising.

"Miss Lewis, I'll cut to the chase." Maria Hill crossed her legs and handed Darcy a folder that she hadn't noticed before, not that she was really paid attention. Darcy took it, telling her hands not to shake as she did so. Luckily they obeyed. "We want you to train as a field agent."

"Shut the fuck up!" Darcy nearly dropped the folder as she saw various documents and photos, all about her or something she's done. There was picture from her archery lesson of the circular target and the dozens of arrows she had managed to hit in the small yellow area; it was stapled to a written report from Clint. There was a picture of her laughing with Loki as she showed him pictures of tiny animals doing cute things on her laptop from yesterday, it angled down which make Darcy sure it was taken from a security camera. Towards the back of the various sheets of paper her eyes skimmed the title 'Psychological Evaluation', but she was too astonished from this news to read much more.

"I'm sorry?" Marie didn't sound so sure when she spoke this time, obviously not used to getting the reaction Darcy just had to the job offer.

"Is this some kind of joke? Did Tony put you up to this?" It was just like Tony to do this; he was still pissed Darcy hadn't organized 'The night of passion fruit, brandy and cigars' like she promised him the day they met. It would have been alright except he insisted bringing it up every time he saw her, and 'conveniently' forgetting about the word 'fruit' when other people were nearby. Even for Tony, this was a bit of an extreme prank; how did he even get Fury and Hill to agree? They didn't even like him!

"I can assure you, we are completely serious." Fury told her, his tone remaining level but firm.

"Fuck me." Darcy relaxed back in the chair, the folder lay in her lap, and she ran her fingers over her forehead and messy hair. "Did no one else apply this year or something?" She gave a nervous laugh, not really meaning the question but she felt the need to ask; she did seem to have an odd sort of luck when applying for things. Both agents just started at her blankly. "You've got the wrong person. You want a bad-ass with ninja skills." Darcy ticked off the qualities on her fingers. "I'm a hit and miss kind of person, mainly I just miss." She chewed on her bottom lip; she wanted to get out of here, get away from the information overload and just sit on Clint's sofa watching crappy TV with his arms around her.

"The evidence from your training sessions disagrees." Agent Hill said politely, reaching into the folder and pulling out another photo, this time of the body targets her and Natasha used when gun training, Darcy could barely tell the difference except her shots were a bit more randomly spaced than Black Widow's. A chill ran up her spine as she visibly shivered.

"This can't be right." She muttered to herself. She began to fill over each page in the folder; coming across more of this 'evidence' Maria spoke about. "I burn Pop-Tarts! I can't be a secret agent." Darcy admitted in disbelief.

"Miss Lewis, you don't just become an agent, it is a lengthy process. You will have two months intense training and will be required to do numerous tests and tasks before you're actually allowed to go on any sort of accompanied mission."

"No, I'm not what you're after. I am the definition of a liability!" Darcy announced. She was unorganized in everything except paperwork, loud, naive and didn't have a mental filter. She wasn't super strong like Thor and Hulk or super smart like Tony and Bruce. "What would my superpower even be anyways? Getting distracted easily? 'Cause, I'm like a magpie when it comes to shiny things."

Maria cracked a smile at her obscure joke, but Fury remained stone faced as he walked around the small living room, picking up random objects and analyzing them. Darcy had never seen a man more interested in a can of hairspray in her life.

"Not everyone has superpowers. Even those who do, don't automatically become agents." Darcy raised an eyebrow at the statement. There were more people with superpowers that weren't in S.H.I.E.L.D? Cool.

Darcy tried to focus on them again and not the idea of people working in cafes or banks that could also have hidden talents. She groaned and covered her face with her hands. "Alright." She said after a while, the silence becoming too much to bear. She lowered her hands into her lap and began to twirl the ring she wore on her right hand. "If, and this is a big 'if', if I said yes, what happens next?" One step at a time, she told herself, she could think clearer if they told everything one step at a time.

"You'd have a lot to prove. Despite those reports and our opinions," Fury gestured at himself and Hill, "There are a few people who don't think you have it in you."

"What?" Darcy was suddenly angry, who thought she didn't have it in her? She was a smart woman and with a little training she would be able to find them and kick their collective asses!

Darcy stood up with determination and shoved the folder onto the chair she just vacated. She hadn't really known she wanted to be an agent until that moment, but it made sense; she always wanted to be something more than Jane's assistant, she just didn't know what...

"Who?" Darcy had to know. If there were people who didn't think she had the guts or skills, then she was going to prove them wrong. She almost smirked at her internal promise. How dare they try and stop her?

Fury was actually smiling at her reaction. A real smile. Darcy was surprised at how it suited him; he looked at least ten years younger when he started showing his pearly white teeth. "A few agents with more experience."

Darcy rested her hands on her hips. "Coulson?"

Fury laughed as he shook his head. "Coulson likes your spunk. He voted for you." Darcy's arms dropped to her side. Coulson liked her spunk? She felt kind of happy about his approval. It was silly, but Agent Phil Coulson kind of reminded her of her dad. That serious yet loveable quality. Few people had it. Fury coughed and Darcy snapped back into the room. "Your training will begin tomorrow with an agility test at 8 sharp, so don't be up too late celebrating. Dr Foster has already been informed that you will no longer be assisting her."

Maria stood from the sofa, she handed Darcy a thick black packet with the S.H.I.E.L.D logo on it and headed towards the door. Darcy thanked her then paused as she saw Fury following her lead.

"Hang on, how'd you know I'd say yes?" They had already told Jane, so what if she turned them down?

"Miss Lewis, you are a twenty three year old university drop out with no career prospects. You know about nearly every classified detail of The Avengers, and are even good friends with most of them. You're curious and perceptive but sometimes don't know when to shut up. You handle yourself surprisingly well in crisis situations, add that to an odd fixation with dangerous weapons..." Fury listed and Darcy felt herself blush, lost for words at his extremely honest assessment. "How could you ever say no?"

The door shut behind him and Maria, not giving her any time to react. He was right. How _could_ she ever say no? Now that she was over the initial shock and confusion, Darcy felt extremely excited. She was going to train to be a secret agent! How awesome was that? She wished so could go back to school and shove this is everyone's faces; she'd bet Suzie Hubbard's job was nowhere near as awesome as hers, serves her right for telling Darcy she was too chubby to be a cheerleader, not that she even wanted to be one.

She found herself by the front door, ready to head up to Clint's room to tell him her news but stopped herself when she realized he wouldn't be there. He was in the hospital wing, on the edge of death. Her hand lingered on the doorknob as her eyes filled up with tears.

She hated herself for not being strong enough to go see him. She was being selfish, she loved him and yet, she couldn't even bring herself to hold his hands when he was in pain. And now, it was too late. She wasn't good enough for him. He was this amazing sniper and a mind-blowingly skilled and passionate lover who has a great personality and a big heart to match, even if he did act like a jerk sometimes. She was just Darcy. She loved him, but she was holding him back; he deserved someone better, like another ninja assassin like him. She shook her head and let go of the handle.

She would become better; she would train and be the best agent she could be. Then she would go to him, if he would take her. Yes, Darcy could do this, she went to her room and began downloading some songs and movies onto her laptop, which somehow was still working even after its little battering earlier. She had the motivation, Clint, and she would have to channel a lot of badassness to accomplish it, but with the help of the Buffy soundtrack and watching every movie with Angelina Jolie and Kate Beckinsale in, Darcy knew she could totally do this.

Xxxxxx

* * *

Darcy's laugh rang through his ears. She was cooking in his apartment, the one thing she said she knew how to actually make rather than microwave, quesadillas. It was around one in the morning, and they were still half naked and sweaty from sex. Darcy was laughing as she sang along to the credits of the movie they had missed, mostly because they were distracted and Clint was leaning over the back of the sofa, arms draped lazily over the edge, watching her as she walked around the kitchen in just his shirt. Her bare legs unfortunately hidden behind the half wall that separated it from the living room.

He could smell the cheese from where his was but it was not the food that was making him salivate. Darcy looked stunning, her messy hair was pinned up with a claw clip thing that Clint didn't know how worked, her glasses were propped on top of her head, she was supposed to wear them when watching TV or using a computer, but she always forgot. Clint had reminded her tonight because he loved seeing her wear them, not that he'd admit it. He loved her nerdy vibe, but she had hit him before for calling her a hipster and Clint had learned his lesson.

He loved her.

He knew it had been building for a while now, but this seemed to be the final piece that made it solid. In that moment, he knew and now just wanted to constantly tell her and announce it to the world that he, Clint Barton, was so deeply and passionately in love with Darcy Lewis. Watching her do something so domestic with such ease and comfort, he could not picture a life without her anymore. A life with her, it sounded perfect. He must have been grinning like a fool as he rested his chin on the back of the sofa and continued to watch her cut up some peppers he had left over in the fridge. He never thought he'd ever get the chance for this, when he signed up to S.H.I.E.L.D, he had given up the hope of a normal relationship, choosing to focus on work and not get distracted. He'd tried the boyfriend/girlfriend thing after a few years, fed up of sleeping in an empty bed, but casual sex was always easier when he didn't know what he'd be doing, or even what country he'd be in the next day. Other agents seemed to have the same idea; so it was easy to lie to himself and pretend random sex was enough.

Then Darcy Lewis had stormed into his life, and no longer could he hold back his sudden desire to be with her. She didn't give him a choice. He was fascinated by her and her enthusiasm for life and all its randomness. She took so much pleasure in such little things, like shit TV movies and the fact she saw an agent help another one carry a huge stack of papers that had somehow made it on her list of awesome things from her day. She was kind and funny, he was still amazed by her inability to not get to know someone, no matter how brief and insignificant her contact with them was. The simple fact the she knew both agents first names from the story earlier and was now trying to set them up on a date because the guy had loved the girl since she started working here and the girl had finally noticed him, only proved his point. She was everything he thought he could never have. He'd even mentioned her in an email to his brother, something he'd never done before; he barely even mentioned Natasha in those messages yet, he couldn't wait to hear what his little brother had to say about Darcy.

"You want extra sour cream?" She asked randomly, pulling him out of his thoughts.

"Sure." He said softly, not wanting to move from his slothful position. Darcy smiled as she walked around the couch with two plates. She leaned down and kissed him lightly on the lips before sitting down next to him, forcing him to sit forward and take his food.

It looked a little burnt around the edges of the tortilla, but he didn't complain, not wanting to hurt her feelings at her first attempt to cook for him. He took a bite and was pleasantly surprised at how good it was. He had never had homemade quesadillas before.

"Mmmm." He moaned as he chewed, giving her an appreciative look. "This is amazing." He said before taking a huge bite.

"I know." Darcy said, smugly, digging into her own meal. She leaned forward and licked a spot of sour cream off the corner of his mouth. Clint stared wide eyed at her, and if his mouth wasn't full of chicken and cheese, then he would have said he loved her right there and then. Instead, he silently chewed and swallowed, wrapping his arm around her shoulders, letting her snuggle up to his bare chest as he watched her flick through the channels to find some reruns of a show named Tru Calling which he'd never heard of. Half way through the episode, he decided it wasn't that bad and that sitting with her, in the middle of the night, was the most blissfully happy he'd been in years.

He kissed the top of her head and moved her half eaten plate of food from her lap and onto the coffee table as she drifted off to sleep. Yeah, he was going to tell her as soon as he could, he would take her out to a fancy dinner, because that's what gentleman do. He wasn't going to lose her just because he was too scared of admitting his feelings.

"Agent Barton?" A voice shook him from his dream. No, it wasn't a dream, he was just remembering.

"Hmmm?" Was all he could manage as he opened his eyes.

"How's the pain?" He was about to say what pain when everything hit him. Yes, _that_ pain. He sat up in the bed and pulled the sheet down to look at his stomach. It was clear, clean of blood and those bandages from earlier, the only evidence that anything had happened was the slightly blue mark over the area that had been damaged. He ran a rough hand over it, it felt slightly cool to touch but there was no pain.

"I'm good." He lied. Sure, his body was fine but his heart was deflated and that memory wasn't helping.

"That's great." Agent Saint Anna said with a bright smile. "You're good to go then."

Clint's eyes widened. "Just like that?"

"I wouldn't say what you went through to heal was easy, but you're back to normal now, if not better. Director Fury wants to debrief you as well, and I think there is a party for one of your friends tonight." That was news to him. What was the party for? It didn't seem like the right time to be celebrating anything and he certainly wasn't in the right mood to be happy and social. "So, you have a life, go live it." Saint Anna said, as she closed his medical file and placed it lightly on the bedside table.

Clint nodded, not really absorbing her words as he got dressed in some S.H.I.E.L.D issue jogging bottoms and a hoodie. He pointed himself in the direction of the lift, praying he wouldn't bump into anyone as he went back to his room to get changed. He wasn't that lucky though, Coulson grabbed him a minute later and insisted he see Fury now before anything else. Clint merely nodded and followed his superior, the feeling of loss getting worse every time he thought about Darcy and how she wasn't there for him when he needed her.

Xxxxxx

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Another chapter down, only ten more to go! I just want to take a moment to thank everyone who reviews/favourites/alerts my story. It all means so much to me and knowing that people are enjoying my fic is such an amazing reward. So, if you don't mind reviewing, then please take a moment and pop a few words in the box below. I really do appreciate it and love hearing your opinions and always try to respond to them.

I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter and things will certainly get better from now on, I can promise you that!

Thank you all and please review if you feel so inclined.

Charlie


	15. Chapter 15

Breathe

Xxxxxx

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WolfDarkfur – Congratulations! You are my 300th reviewer! For this monumental occasion, I will be dedicating this chapter to you and your obvious (but completely understandable) obsession with The Avengers! Thank you so much for taking your time to write those lovely comments and I hope this chapter was worth the wait.

HSky16 – Sorry about the angst, but it was necessary for you to get this chapter ;-) Thank you for your comment, it made me smile and I can't wait to hear what you make of this chapter.

Lenetra – Thank you! Your comments were so lovely I wish I could hug you for being so sweet! Darcy will always have her insecurities and I think Clint brings a lot of those to the surface, because she's worried he'll see them and leave her for them, which only makes her more insecure! It's a vicious circle that I think a lot of us can relate to. Hopefully she'll sort things out soon but this will always be there now. Thanks again for the review and I hope you like this chapter ;-)

Da'Ink – I'm so happy you love my fic! It's amazing to read what everyone thinks of it and your thoughts are so true! Thank you for reviewing and I hope this chapter doesn't let you down, although I'm sure you'll like what happens ;-)

Guest No 2 – True that! You speak wise words about being an Agent... so much so that I wonder if you know too much...? I hope you like what's next for them, this chapter certainly sorts a few things out. I wish I could thank you personally for your lovely review, I hope you know this is you... whoever you are...

Belanna – I'm glad I made your morning, I love it when I wake up and find updates to some of my favorite stories, it's my own personal caffeine fix :-) Thank you for reviewing, and don't worry, things are about to get a bit better for our heroes!

MiraResQNU – I'm sorry to cause all that frustration, I didn't want to drag the angst out for too long and hope I didn't! In note to what you said in your review, I have zero to three percent understanding of how LJ works, is there a Darcy and Loki looking at baby animals community? If so, I will have to learn how to use LJ and quickly! I wanted Darcy to introduce Loki to Tumblr but I felt the God Of Mischief might have a bit too much fun with that… lol! Sorry to ramble, but I'm so happy you picked up on the whole William recruiting Clint thing, I'm sure it was obvious but I'm glad you noticed that this was the first time I actually confirmed it. You made my heart sing with your review and I can't wait to see what you think of this chapter! Thank you for your lovely comments and I hope you enjoy the rest of my story!

Patpat – Those mysterious guys won't be hiding for long, though I'm not sure that's a good thing or not… I hope you like this next chapter! To answer your question, Saint Anna is actually a character in the Marvel Comics. She was only in like one comic but she had the ability to heal others and I needed a character that could do that and didn't want to go for the obvious people. I needed S.H.I.E.L.D to have a healer and she seemed like a good fit, although I did embellish the details of how her powers work for the sake of the story. I hope that doesn't disappoint you. She will come back at some point but she isn't an important character… or is she? Dun dun duhhhh! Anyway, thanks for another lovely review and I hope I don't let you down with this new chapter!

Katie-Kakes97 – Thank you for another lovely review! I will send you an email later but I hope you enjoy reading this chapter as much as I did writing it!

Guest No 3 – Sorry to disappoint! But Darcy will find a way to make it up to Clint. She has to. I wish I could thank you for your review personally, but thank you!

BabeRuthless1985 – Who are you and where have you been all my life? 14 reviews in less than a day? You are a god, or a goddess, whichever. I am in total awe of your effort and time and amazingly lovely things you said about each and EVERY chapter of my story! I can't believe you went back and reviewed each one, I never have enough motivation to do that so when I saw that you did, it meant so much because I know how long it takes and how hard it is to say constructive things after a while, but wow… I'm so glad you like my story and you totally showed how much you enjoy it by giving me the best reward you could, your reviews and thoughts! So thank you, you are an amazing person. I hope you like this next chapter and it doesn't let you down after all this gushing I've just done lol. Enjoy and thank you again!

Phoenixgrl15 – Hello! Thanks for another review, I love hearing your thoughts. I think Darcy will be a little bit too preoccupied with grovelling to get angry at Clint, but who knows. I hope you like this chapter, and I'll let you know, I loved writing it and I hope that shows. Thank you again!

Booklover9477 – First off, I've wanted to ask for a while, what does the 9477 in your username mean? Saint Anna is not the enemy! Or at least… not yet! Mwahaha! No, Saint Anna is just that goodie-two-shoes that you love to hate although they've done nothing wrong. I recently watched Daydream Nation when I wrote this chapter and there's a character that inspired Anna in it, if you will (P.S. Go watch that movie. Kat Dennings is a goddess in it!). I was not being sarcastic when I said you are awesome. YOU ARE AWESOME and I'm so happy you know you're awesome too. I loved writing this chapter and can't wait to see what you think, I think you're going to like it ;-) Thanks again for reviewing, you're comments are always appreciated and mean a lot to me, so thank you.

Alexceasar – They will. Don't worry. Thanks for taking the time to review. I hope you like this update!

Angel Bells – Don't worry, Darcy won't be one of those girls for long. I would totally bitch-slap her as well if she stayed all moody like that for more than two chapters. I love your idea, but I hope you like what I've done instead ;-) Thank you for your comments, they made me laugh and I love seeing how you respond to the things that happen, it helps me steer that story in a direction I know the reader will like, after all, it's all about you! Thanks again and I hope you like this chapter!

Rusalyn – Thank you, I'm sorry you had to wait so long for this update. I hope you like it! Thanks for reviewing.

Dhauren – I totally agree. Darcy needs to get her act in gear and stop being a self-deprecating girl! Don't worry, she'll sort it out sooner or later! I hope you like what I did in this chapter and thank you for another review.

.Jess – Sorry I made you sad. I didn't mean to, I just needed to make things worse before they could get better, but don't worry, they will :-) Thank you for your review, I can't tell you how much your comments mean to me, but thanks. Enjoy!

KennaWynters – I love it when you review because I see that incredibly hypnotizing picture of Jeremy Renner in my inbox lol. His eye! Oh God, they see right through me! *Cough* Anyway… Tell me who your Beta is and I'll kick his ass, or I'll send mine over to do it for me ;-) Just joking! Beta's are awesome, I would not be this far into this story if it wasn't for mine. I would love to read your stuff if you want someone to proof read or bounce ideas off of. I'm terrible at grammar and spelling so won't be much help there, but I'm happy to help if you want. I hope you like this chapter and can't wait to see what you think of it! Thanks again for your lovely review, you are amazing.

Mushroomking98 - I totally didn't think of Saint Anna having posters of Clint all over her room, it sounds believable, lol. I love how Darcy says whatever comes to mind, it reminds me of myself too, although I'm not as bad as she is! I think we all have a bit of Darcy in us, that's why we relate so much to her. Considering she had such a small part in the movie (a part that if they don't get her to reprise in the sequel then I will storm Marvel with angry hate mail!) she's got a huge following, more than Jane I think, and she was supposed to be the female star! Sorry about my rambling, thank you for another awesome review and I can't wait to hear what you think of this next chapter ;-) Thanks!

Xxxxxx

Once again, thank you to Sandra, you are amazing and deserve a much more special thanks then this little sentence, one day I will figure out exactly how to thank you enough for all your time and hard work! She added some amazing things to this chapter that really built characters in ways I couldn't have dreamed of, and I'm so glad to use her ideas in my story.

I would like to dedicate this chapter to WolfDarkfur. And as always, I do not own Marvel or any characters in this story.

Xxxxxx

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Chapter 15

"Congratulations!" Jane cried as Darcy walked out of her room to get some food later that evening. Jane had covered the living room in balloons and a homemade banner from A4 pieces of printing paper that read 'Congratulations Darcy', each letter was printed on a separate sheet, and Darcy knew it must have taken Jane a lot of effort to put this together as she's usually so unorganized when it comes to trivial things like that. Darcy checked off each letter and was surprised to see the scientist had managed to get the spelling perfect.

A smile was instantly wide on Darcy's face as she saw this display. Jane was holding two glasses of what Darcy guessed was champagne, and Thor was standing next to her already with another glass, which looked ridiculously tiny and fragile in his giant hand, and a party blower in one side of his mouth that he was randomly blowing into, causing a loud and irritating applaud of noise. Well, as long as he was enjoying himself, Darcy thought with a shrug.

"Oh my god! Thank you guys!" Darcy quickly walked over and hugged the couple. "This is brilliant! How'd you get all the balloons and stuff?" She picked up a matte purple rubber balloon and hugged it her chest. It was the same color as Hawkeye's costume, she mused. Jane handed her a glass and they all clinked them together.

"It was nothing." Jane dismissed. "We're just so happy for you!" Jane went in for another hug, but Darcy clenched the purple rubber filled with air in defence and Jane turned to Thor instead. "I'm just so glad you're going to be doing something exciting! I know being my assistant can be a bit boring."

Darcy shook her head. "No, Jane I love working with you. I'm just not good at it!"

"You shall be successful in this feat." Thor announced, he took the small toy out of his mouth, having made enough noise now apparently. "I must confess, however, I am a little astonished at them approaching you." He then took a huge swig of the bubbly alcohol, Darcy's eyes went large and her mouth hung agape at him downing the drink in one. She couldn't _wait_ to see drunken Thor, and he looked as if he was on his way. She bet he had some awesome stories about Loki and Asgard that she could use against him.

"I know, it's weird right?" Darcy said mainly to Jane as Thor poured himself another glass, completely unaware of his girlfriend's concern but giving a warning glare in his direction at his rudeness. "But they said I had some key skills they look for, and they'll teach me all the rest." Darcy winked at the big man as he made himself rather comfy on the sofa. "Plus, I already know all their dirty little secrets." She laughed.

Darcy could still hardly believe they offered her this opportunity, but she was going to grab it with both hands before they could change their minds and prove she could be a good agent, not Black Widow good, but still kick ass enough to whip some baddie butt.

"No, I meant that they approached you after we voted against it." Thor had a wide smile on his face, obviously tipsy as he stroked a soft pillow in his lap like it was a cat.

"What are you talking about?" Jane asked, taking a seat next to him. Thor abandoned the pillow and put his arm around the small doctor's shoulders. Darcy went and perched on the edge of the chair she sat on earlier. Was Thor involved in the evaluation of her? She had spent this afternoon reading those folders cover to cover, and she hadn't seen his name once, except when they referred to New Mexico.

"They asked me of my opinion; I said Lady Darcy would be a brilliant agent."

"But?" Darcy encouraged him to continue.

"But you lacked the motivation. Obviously I was mistaken."

Darcy felt her eyes narrow. "What do you mean voted?" She let the balloon float down to the floor and curled her feet under her legs. She wanted to know more; maybe he might even tell her who vetoed her.

"Myself, Agent Coulson, Agent Hill, Agent Barton, Agent Romanoff, Director Fury, Black Widow and Hawkeye." Darcy and Jane both smiled at Thor, finding his repetition of names in his slightly drunk state funny. "We voted."

"That's what Fury was telling me." Darcy considered out loud. She began to explain as Jane gave her a curious expression. "He said that there were some experienced agents who didn't think I 'had it in me' to be a field agent." Darcy growled as she put two and two together. It wasn't Coulson, she smiled, and she already knew that he thought, she had spunk! Obviously Fury and Hill wanted her to be an agent or they wouldn't have sat on these chairs and asked her. Thor wasn't an agent; so that ruled him out... So that left Natasha and Clint.

Her heart was beating so hard in her chest that she couldn't hear anything else. Those lying bastards! They had filled out these amazingly detailed reports about her talent with weapons and self-defence and yet they voted against her? A small part of her said it was because they cared too much about her, but she couldn't hear it over her blood pumping past her ears. Just wait until Clint was better and she would let him have it! She was angry at Natasha too but knew better than to pick a fight with someone who could kill her in a second flat and wasn't afraid to hit other girls, especially a girl that was already in the red head's bad graces.

She forced herself to calm down, taking another small sip of the sparkling drink. It was sweet and fruity, yet held a slightly bitter taste as it rushed over her tongue. She liked it. There was a knock at the door, and Darcy rushed up to get it, Jane looked so happy and comfy in Thor's arms that she didn't want to disturb them.

She let out a cry nearly tripping over a stray balloon on the floor as she walked over to the entrance of their apartment. She laughed at her own moment of clumsiness as she opened the door.

"Suit up!" It was Tony. Darcy rolled her eyes at his grand entrance. He was holding a box under his arm around the size of a shoe box and was dressed in a gorgeous tux that made Darcy pause at how expensive it must be.

"Is there an attack?" She asked, her face scrunched up at his formal appearance if he was about to enter a battle.

"Don't be stupid." He tapped Darcy under the chin and barged past her into the room. "Lord this place is tiny." He nosed around, picking up an empty coffee cup before throwing it over his shoulder. Jane shrieked, but Darcy was quick enough to catch it, glaring at the obnoxious man who felt the need to disrupt their apartment.

"What's going on?" Jane and Thor had both turned around of the sofa, obviously concerned about why their unexpected guest was here.

"Tonight, we're going out for dinner. My treat." Tony said simply, unbuttoning his suit jacket. "So, suit up because The Avengers are celebrating in style!"

Darcy rolled her eyes. "Whatever metal man, I don't have anything remotely nice to wear."

"Then, Miss Lewis, you better find something, we leave in half an hour, and we can't have a party without the soon to be secret agent we're celebrating about." Stark seemed to remember something and pulled the box from under his arm, holding it out between him and Darcy. "Well done, darling." Darcy eyed the box with suspicion, what the hell had Tony gotten her? She would have figured Pepper was the one who does most of the gift giving in their relationship, as she's heard horror stories of Tony's eccentric tastes of acceptable gifts. She crossed out puppy; there were no air holes and not even Tony was that cruel to subject a defenseless animal to Darcy's unorganized life. She was hoping shoes or a dress, Tony certainly had the money, and he was style conscious. He probably didn't want to be caught dead with people in baggy jumpers or slept in crinkled trousers like she still was, either.

"Go on." He urged her. He looked so excited and sincere about it that Darcy was reminded of a child bringing home a piece of art from school made of pasta and glue. She took the box, trying to not let her uneasiness at the suspicious package show. It was heavy, heavier than she expected.

Shit, it was a head!

The random thought rushed through her brain, but she shook it off immediately. Tony was mildly crazy and spontaneous, but he wasn't a psychopath! She didn't know why she thought it was a decapitated head; she'd have to analyze that weird thought later and if it said more about her than him.

"Thanks, Tony." She tried to sound grateful but it came out more apprehensive.

Darcy turned and placed the box on part of the kitchen counter that separated the kitchen and living room. Peeling back the lid, she held her breath then burst out laughing as she pulled out a whole passion fruit and a black cardboard packet of what looked like uber expensive cigars. "Where's the brandy, bitch?" She joked, pulling the older man into a hug, the gifts still in her hands as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Woah, I got those cigars imported from Cuba and the fruit from Sri Lanka. You can get the brandy, hooker." Darcy glowered at him for his offensive nickname after she pulled back from his embrace and lifted the black packaging to her nose, then raised an eyebrow.

"Cuban?" She took a deep inhale and couldn't stop the moan as she breathed out. She didn't smoke, but they smelt amazing!

"Only the best for my damsel in distress." He gave her a mock bow and cheered when he saw Pepper walk through the open door into Darcy and Jane's place. "And here's the love of my life!" Tony tracked down Pepper's eyes, turning serious for a moment. "Are you sure you want to do this, sweetie?"

Pepper laughed and smacked him on the chest lightly. Darcy suddenly wondered what their sex life was like, Pepper always seemed to be hitting Tony somewhere, and he did turn into a bit of a subservient boy around her.

"Don't be silly." Pepper turned to Jane and Darcy. "Come on girls, thanks to Tony here and his inability to make dinner reservation, we're limited on time." A wicked smile formed on her face and Darcy was worried about the evil gleam in her eyes. "Let's go shopping!"

Jane groaned and tried to bury her head in the back cushions of the sofa where she'd been watching this whole unusual scene unfold. Darcy quickly zoomed over to the smaller lady and pulled at her arm. She leaned down and whispered in her ear. "Come on, if have to go to this, then you do too!" She practically hissed. Jane seemed to accept it and sat up, her eyes still desperate.

"Fine, but Thor needs a suit." The scientist pointed at Tony, expectantly.

"All sorted, Becky already has one lined up for the big interview next week; we'll go give it a test run." Tony informed them, Darcy could only imagine what kind of damage they could do alone together. She shuddered at Tony and Thor getting up to mischief, she'd seen the report from the last time that happened and that forest would take centuries to recover.

Jane leaned down gave Thor a quick kiss, smiling into his lips, and Darcy felt her heart clench. She missed her little 'goodbye for now' kisses with Clint. It had only been a day and she already missed him. No, she scolded herself; she wasn't good enough for his kisses anymore. She didn't deserve them so there was no point of dwelling. It was only more fuel to add to the fire, she told herself, a cliché but true.

The girls were down on Level 7 before Darcy knew it. Pepper had briefed them on the way down which shop they were heading to and to keep up; Darcy couldn't help but think it wouldn't be that hard considering the mega high heels the older woman was wearing. Darcy made a comment about how they were just clothes shopping and not going into a war zone, which earned her a glare from Tony's ex-assistant. She decided then that she never wanted to get on Pepper's bad side; she could look terrifying when she wanted to, and Darcy could only fear the crazy badass skills Ms. Potts must have if she could keep Tony on a leash.

They went into the shop and Pepper picked out a few dresses for both Jane and Darcy, and then demanded they go into the changing rooms. Jane got lucky; the first dress she wore was 'perfect' according to Ms Potts. It was a shiny silver color and fell just above her knees; it reminded Darcy of those little metal disks on Thor's Asgardian armor. Darcy didn't have the same luck as she slipped into the fourth dress Pepper had thrown at her. Darcy loved it, it hung to each of her curves yet, it didn't overly state the fact she had bigger than average breasts. The color was a deep green, and it was a bit shorter than Jane's but not as tight over her thighs. If she spun around, she imagines it would flow out a little bit like a princess' gown, but she didn't have time to test that theory as Pepper was banging on the door, demanding she come out soon or she'd come in.

The other two girls agreed, this was the best dress, and she didn't even have time to change into her casual clothes before Pepper, who had somehow managed to switch into a black floor length dress with long slits on either side while Darcy was changing, was taking them back to their room. The men were gone, and Pepper told both girls to finish getting ready as the cars would be upstairs in 10 minutes. Darcy shook her head and altered her view on the whole twenty minute shopping experience, it was a war zone. Pepper was crazy. She blew out a long whistle and headed to her bedroom to make her face look as good as the dress, an impossible task in her mind.

Darcy managed to shove her credit card and ID into her bra, stupid dresses not having pockets! Sometimes she wished she could just wear a suit like a guy. After putting on a bit of eyeliner and some burgundy lipstick that went well with the dress, she rushed into the living room to find Jane brushing her hair and looking as lost as Darcy felt.

"What the hell just happened?" Darcy asked, still completely bemused by the last half an hour.

"Tony Stark?" Jane asked more than answered. Darcy tilted her head to the side; it was a reasonable answer she supposed. She grabbed the cigars but left the passion fruit as they headed out the door to the ground floor where they could actually access the outside. She wished she had a handbag that matched the outfit she wore, but she'd only have to hold onto the object for a little while.

This was the first time Darcy had been outside in a month. She had forgotten what the sky looked like and took a moment to appreciate the stars that had appeared in the evening sky already. They were so beautiful.

Someone came to stand next to her, and she couldn't see them but she could sense they were taller than Jane. She took a deep breath of fresh air into her lungs before looking back down at the ice cream call center building that she had just come out of. She smiled to herself at S.H.I.E.L.D's supposedly undercover headquarters, like, who would ever complain about ice cream? She asked herself.

"We once had a man turn up here. Oldish guy, around 80." Darcy gasped and felt her heart stop at the voice. It was Clint. She wanted to reach out for something to hold onto, fearing she wouldn't be able to support herself for much longer. She turned to look at him and found him gazing up at the stars over the building just like she had been moments ago. She took time to follow the strong muscle of his neck, up to the angle of his jaw. She remembered the feel of it against her face as they lay together after some pretty glorious sex. "He'd driven here, to the middle of nowhere; over 200 miles because he wanted speak to someone in person. After an hour of interrogations and security checks, he was finally let go."

"Who was he?" Darcy's voice was soft, almost a lost whisper in the evening air. She felt as breathless as she sounded.

"Apparently the ice cream tub he bought, cookie something, only had one cookie bit in it. He came here to complain thinking we were a legit company." He smirked as he finished the story and Darcy wondered if he had read her mind as she gave a sad smile at his answer to her internal question.

There was a long pause as they waited for the cars that Tony had organized to pick them up. She could feel her chest heaving at every breath she took. She wanted to run into his arms, but her feet were frozen in place. He still hadn't moved from star gazing, and Darcy was afraid if he looked at her then he'd finally break the moment and sneer an insult at her, breaking her heart like she deserved for leaving him.

"I'm glad you're okay." Darcy finally said, looking at his side. There was no sign of his injury under his grey suit and black shirt, he hands were casually stuffed in his trouser pockets and he looked every inch the spy he was.

"It was just a scratch." He said robotically, but Darcy saw how his throat constricted as he gave a hard swallow. She wondered how many time he had told that lie over the past 24 hours.

"Liar." Darcy nudged him with her shoulder playfully, she didn't feel playful. He looked down at her, his green eyes burning into her blue ones. She felt the urge to gulp, but her mouth was completely dry. She didn't know what she was seeing in his eyes as he continued to look at her, but she was captivated. Hurt, lust, sadness, anger. It was all there. It was all directed at her. The more she looked the guiltier she felt, but she didn't dare look away. She had made him feel like this, because she was too scared, now she had to face the consequences.

"I think we need to talk." Clint finally told her. She opened her mouth to agree, tears already threatening to spill.

"Limos are here!" Tony called from the other side of the road. They both kept looking at each other as they heard doors open and close. "Princess, you better hurry up or you won't get a space!" Darcy couldn't help but role her eyes at his comment. She sighed angrily and turned to Tony as he called back. "Too late! You two will have to take the other one!"

They sped off into the night and Darcy, open mouthed, was left perplexed with Clint. Slowly another, slightly smaller limo pulled up to the ice cream's lobby. Great, Darcy thought bitterly, walking a little bit too heavily in her heels, fan-fucking-tastic. They headed over to it, Clint opening the door for her to climb in. She really didn't want to be in an enclosed space for this conversation.

"Princess." He whispered close to her ear as she got in, making fun of Tony's new nickname for her.

She scooted over rather inelegantly on her rear-end until she was seated by other opposite door. She tried to busy herself with the seat belt as Clint got in, only to find there were none. She turned and caught glimpse of him as he settled into his seat, straightening his tie and undoing his jacket button at the same time. Fuck, he looked amazing in a suit; did God hate her that much?

The limo started moving off, and she was glad there was a partition between them and the driver so her moment of shame and guilt couldn't be witnessed by anyone else. Maybe it was a good thing they were alone, this evening would be incredibly awkward if she didn't apologies first. Then again, she had had no time to prepare herself for this, assuming Clint was still too hurt to be allowed to come out. She smoothed down her dress, focusing on her fingers stroking the soft material and not on him.

"You didn't come." Clint was the first one to speak. Darcy looked up at him to find his intense eyes watching her every move in the slightly dim back seats.

"I know. I'm sorry." The words weren't enough to express her guilt. She felt hot tears form in her eyes and looked up, blinking them away. She took a glass of the champagne that was sat waiting for them in the limo and took a gulp, a trick she learned from her youth, it's physically impossible to cry when you're drinking something, one of those weird body quirks like sneezing with your eyes open.

She could still feel his gaze on her as he continued to speak and was thankful that she didn't just choke on the alcohol.

"I woke up and you weren't there."

Darcy inhaled shakily, she couldn't think of the right words to say, and then she realized there were no right words. She couldn't fix her actions with words alone.

"I asked for you. I needed you, then I find out you were with… him." It was strangled and Darcy closed her eyes when she couldn't hold the tears back any longer. "Why? Why him and not me?" He was angry, rejected, disgusted. All because of her.

Why? It could be taken a hundred different way, she had a thousand different answers, but the lump in her throat made it impossible to speak and for once in her life, Darcy wished she could say anything, she didn't care how inappropriate or random it was, but the silence was killing her.

He was obviously fed up by her lack of response and sighed.

"So this is over?" She flinched as he spat the last word.

"I didn't come." She said simply, sad that she only now found her voice, when it was too late. That was enough of a reason wasn't it? She opened the window, trying to get some cool air into this increasingly burning hot vehicle. "I'm so happy you're okay. What I saw on the news… It looked really bad. Like, no coming back bad."

She felt him shift in his seat, getting a fraction closer to her. "It was."

"How-" Darcy couldn't finish her question, just the idea of him lying on a hospital bed, close to death and covered in blood was making her feel sick. She dropped her head into her hands, hoping her hair would hide her from the world.

"Same as Coulson. We have a healer."

Darcy scoffed. Of course they had a healer, whatever that meant. She thought of The Lazarus Pit from the Batman comics she used to read and the idea of Clint being dunked in a tube of mystery liquid. That's probably not how they did it.

She heard him sigh, and he obviously got fed up of her avoiding his gaze because she felt her head being lifted by a hand under her chin, forcing her to drop her hands and bring her eyes level with his.

"What the fuck Darcy? I leave and everything's perfect. We're perfect." His thumb stroked her jaw, resting on the hinge. "I come back, you're not there. Then I find out you've joined S.H.I.E.L.D? What changed?" He sounded desperate, but all Darcy could focus on was his breath mingling with hers. The smell of his cologne and the heat of his body, so close to hers, it all was so overwhelming. He was making it really difficult for her to control herself when he was being all sexy and intense like this!

"Nothing changed."

"Bullshit." His other hand was on the side of her neck and her eyes fluttered open and closed wildly at the familiar feel of his hands. "I'll ask again. What changed?" He was in agent mode, forceful, yet calm. Threatening and trustworthy all in one.

She couldn't answer. Her brain was fuzzy with alcohol being on an empty stomach, and the man she was addicted to being a centimeter away from her lips did not help her plight.

"Darcy." He warned, but it sounded too much like his bedroom voice. Her eyes began to focus on him again and she leaned in, slowly capturing his lips with hers. It started off gentle but quickly became more passionate as he growled into her closed mouth and darted his tongue out, demanding entry she was more than happy to grant. She moaned into his open mouth and finally let go.

He was off his chair and pushing her back into the soft leather, she angled her body so she was pressed against him more completely, opening her legs so they hugged his hips. She didn't know what to do with her hands so left them at her side, clutching at the leather as he claimed her mouth. This was forceful and desperate and she was fine with that, feeling desperate enough herself.

"What happened?" He asked in a rugged voice, still trying to find his breath as they took a moment to pause.

"I got scared." She panted, her chest brushing against his as she took in a shaky breath. His lips caught hers again, not giving her any more time to recover. He grabbed her hips and pulled them closer to his.

"Scared of what?" He asked, his teeth leaving a trail of small bites down her neck. She gasped as he sucked and nipped one area so much that she was sure it would leave a mark. Thank God she wore her hair down; she'd love to explain to a room full of Avengers why she had a hickey after sharing a limo on her own with Hawkeye.

"Scared of losing you." She admitted before taking another sharp gasp as he felt him groan into her neck and his hand find its way up her dress and pressed firmly against her panties.

"Oh Darcy. I'm not letting you go anywhere. You." He rubbed his fingers very deliberately in a certain area that make Darcy squeeze her eyes shut as her legs started to shake. "Belong." He turned her over so she was lying flat on the chairs, and he was on top of her a second later, his tie dangling over her neck, which was still sensitive and damp from his earlier attentions. "With." He pulled the skirt part of her dress up and around her waist, making himself comfortable while he pressed firmly between her legs. "Me." She moaned, not sure if it was because of his words or the fact he had now pushed her underwear to the slid and was now stroking her wet flesh keenly.

"Please…" She whispered. Clint was now eye level with her again; one arm supporting his weight next to her head as he hovered over her while the other continued their actions from before. She squirmed, not helping but to get caught up in his green gaze. "Please…" Why did words always escape her when he was around her? She shouldn't complain, what he was doing with his hand was enough to make any sane woman lose their comprehension of the English language. "I need you." Her hands, now knowing what to do, tugged at his belt, her fingers nimbly opening the clasp, popping the button and unzipping his trousers in a few quick movements. She didn't need to spell it out for him when she pushed the material down over his ass along with his boxers. Fuck, she didn't know who needed this more, him or her.

"Protection?" He searched her eyes.

"I don't… you?"

"No. Fuck." Clint rested his forehead against hers, the tips of their noses touching. Darcy was so close. She wasn't going to give up that easily.

"Just tell me when, okay?" She angled her head to the left and gave him a quick closed mouth kiss as she shimmied out of her panties.

"You sure?" Eyes wide. He was such a good boy; Darcy would have laughed if she wasn't so desperate for him right now.

She nodded. "Clint, there is no way we're leaving this limo unless you fuck me right now." She glared at him, her fully exposed hips pressing into his.

"You're so fucking amazing." He immediately took her lips again and entered her quickly. She moaned at the contact and threw her hands above her head, using one to hold the door grip and the other searching for the switch to close the still half open window. They didn't need anyone catching a glimpse of this.

"Clint." Darcy pushed herself up on her elbows and rolled her hips into his causing him to give her a throaty moan. She pushed herself into him more and stared at his face, watching the sweat form on his forehead, and his eyes crinkle shut as they rode together. Darcy wanted to touch him, to have as much of his flesh touching her as possible, assuring her that she hadn't lost him, but they didn't have time. This was fast and fervent. There was no savoring the moment as she didn't have time to stop and think between hasty kisses and rough thrusts. This was simple reassurance, showing each other that they were still there. He wasn't dead, and she hadn't fully abandoned him.

He felt amazing inside her. There was nothing between them and she could tell he was enjoying it as much as she was, if not more. She grabbed his hand and popped three fingers in her mouth, his archery fingers, sucking on them and swirling her tongue over the tips. She smiled when she felt him buck uncontrollably above her, coming undone in front of her. A sheen of sweat was fully formed on his forehead and his face was contorted in ecstasy as his eyes were now open and penetrated down to hers.

"God, Darcy. I can't-" His hand moved away from her mouth and managed to find her center again and was working double time, trying to make her finish at the same time. She caught the side of his neck with one hand, bringing it down to meet hers and pushed herself into his fingers and hips more as she ran her tongue over his bottom lip. His miraculous hand continued to rub her sensitive spot in an almost torturous way as he gave a few deep thrusts. She felt her legs go tense then a tremor ran through her thighs as she clenched around him several times, whimpering around his digits that he'd put back in her mouth as she came. She smirked as she sucked them hard, tasting herself on her tongue. The action was oddly dirty and erotic and she knew he liked it when she did that. "Darcy, I'm..."

She easily pushed him back into the chair by his chest, he instantly slid out of her and on shaking legs; she managed to kneel in front of him in time to take the tip of his cock in her mouth like she had previously done with his fingers. He let out a moan above her, obviously enjoying the sight of her head in his lap, and Darcy wondered how she ever lived before hearing that sound? She tasted herself on him again as she curled her tongue around his head.

"Darce." He was muttering in euphoria. "God, Darce. I think I-" She knew he was close as he grabbed fistfuls of her hair and pumped his hips towards her mouth a little more aggressively than before, hitting the back of her throat. Darcy gagged a little but knew guys loved that so tried to relax her jaw to allow more access. "I think I lov- augh…" He shuddered and groaned again as he spilled his seed, which she eagerly swallowed.

She rubbed her hands up and down his muscular thighs as he recovered, stroking the light grey material of his suit. She gave his manhood a long lick and a light kiss on the end, knowing the flesh was extremely sensitive at the moment.

His head kept rolling back to rest on the chair for him to then change his mind and look down at her. He reached down and lightly stroked her jaw with his thumb. Darcy turned her head into his palm and gave his wrist a small kiss as well before smiling up at him from her position on the limo floor. They always did that. After they had sex, he would always run his hand along her chin, up to her ear then back again, his fingers just ghosting over her lips. She wondered if he'd ever done that to other girls he'd been with but she squashed the thought, she wanted that to be just for her.

Using the hands she was massaging his legs with, she stopped and used them to help her half stand up. She quickly searched for her underwear around the limo while he did his pants back up, turning to Clint in defeat she saw him smirking, a glass of champagne in each hand and her panties dangling from his left index finger. She reached over, taking the offending item and the alcohol from his grasp.

She clinked her glass with his as she climbed back into the seat next to his and began to readjust her clothes. "Cheers." They both said before taking sips. She leaned over to give him a brief but firm kiss on the lips.

"We shouldn't have done that." Darcy told him. It was true, even if she didn't regret it. They were in the back of a moving vehicle! She was almost certain this was illegal. She was glad there was a partition that stopped the driver from seeing their naughty times, but he most definitely heard something. Mostly, Darcy knew this wasn't part of her plan. She was supposed to become a respectable agent and then see if he was willing to try again, they were certainly not supposed to fornicate like two sex starved teenagers in the back of a limo! That was the opposite of respectable, Darcy frowned internally at herself.

"Yeah, it was so terrible!" Clint rolled his eyes and said, his voice dripping with sarcasm and still husky from their intimate activity. "We must never let it happen again!" His eyes wide with pretend shock. "No need to suffer."

"So we're…?" Darcy's words hung in the air. The question was obvious.

"We're perfect." He muttered and smiled into her lips for another kiss.

He was right, at that moment, Darcy felt perfect. She had an amazing man that she loved, although he didn't know it, she was wearing a very expensive dress and about to have a fancy meal with her closest friends to celebrate her new and exciting job.

"I did it for you." She blurted out. She didn't want it to come out like a stalker, but the words were out there in the open before she could stop it.

"What?" He was doing that thing with her jaw again, how was she supposed to think straight? It was both incredibly sensual and soothing. God, his hands were amazing.

"I said yes because of you. I want to become an agent; so I can be good enough for you." She told him. Darcy watched as he went from stunned, to flattered, to remorseful in three seconds. "Don't be like that." She warned him, knowing how surly he could get when he put blame onto himself. "I did it for me mainly. This is a fucking awesome opportunity, I still don't know why they even noticed me but," She made content sigh, straightening Clint's tie. "You were my incentive and inspiration rolled into one fucking hot man." She rested her hand on his chest. She felt foolish telling him this, but it was the closest she could get to telling him that she loved him without actually saying it.

"I would have told you to say no." His eyes darkened, reliving memories that she couldn't help but wonder about, she hated thinking about his past, but until she knew more, she would just have to accept his distant gazes every now and again.

"You were dying." Darcy said softly and was greeted with a jeer.

"Well, doesn't Fury just have the most perfect timing?" He turned his gaze from her, his words very sharp and bitter, like freshly cut lemon.

"What do you mean?" Darcy could already guess, Fury was a conniving son of a bitch; he must have known about them and waited until she was desperate and not thinking straight to ask her the biggest, most important, life changing decision of her life. Bastard! She couldn't help the pout that formed on her lipstick smudged mouth. She wondered if Fury has set the whole thing up but dismissed it, he wouldn't purposefully injure one of his best agents just to hire said agent's girlfriend into the organization. He was just really good at utilizing a situation, Darcy decided.

"Nothing." He tried to dismiss, his thumb rubbing over her bottom lip. "Hey, Darcy? Will you go on a date with me? Now that you're a trainee agent, you can leave the base." Hmm, Fury forgot to mention that, she noted. "So, will you do me the honor?" Clint managed to change the subject and make Darcy swoon at the same time.

Darcy felt herself blush, she was feeling a little awkward at such a gentlemanly request after what they'd just done, and her legs were already beginning to ache at their wicked deeds. When she felt awkward, she usually said something inappropriate. Shit, she could feel it bubbling up inside of her. "I'm pretty sure I just did 'do you'…" She smirked, unable to control herself.

Clint just laughed and pressed his forehead against hers. "I'm taking that as a yes." She was so glad he accepted her weirdness.

"Okay, but if we're going to start 'dating' and not just secretly fucking in your room, then there's something I need to tell you." Darcy said, her tone becoming more serious.

"We fucked in your room as well, you know." Clint felt the need to point out.

"Pfft, like once!" Darcy rolled her eyes and swatted him on the chest, "Listen, Agent Barton, I'm trying to be serious!" She whined then frowned at her contradicting statement and behavior.

"Okay Agent Lewis, what is it that you feel the need to tell me only after we've just had incredibly hot sex so you know I can't be angry at you?" Damn, Darcy cursed.

"You see through me so easily." She said dramatically, and then wrapped her hand around the tie she just straightened and pulled him across for a lingering kiss. She pulled back and was happy to see he was so captivated that he tried to follow her lips for another. "Okay. The thing is…"

"You're married? You're really an undercover soviet spy?" He jokingly guessed.

"Stop it! You've read my personnel files, so you know the answers to that." Darcy sighed. "Don't be angry." Clint nodded, that cheeky smile still on his face. "But I kind of made an agreement with Tony…" His face dropped comically, and she wished she could have recorded this. She could only imagine the kind of things that were running through his head! "That my first child has to be named Ironman."

Clint looked relieved for a fraction of a second before he yelled.

"What?" This was perfect! He was fuming, and Darcy knew she should be taking this serious but even the tips of his ears were red with anger. She resisted the urge to reach out and stroke them with her fingertips.

Darcy waved her hand in a rather dismissing way. "This all happened before I met you." She couldn't help but laugh. She kept quiet that she ended up meeting Clint only 30 seconds later. "He had just saved my life. I would have offered him my virginity if I still had it!" For some reason, that only made him angrier… weird. Darcy giggled.

"Uh… Darcy!" Clint exclaimed his eyes wide and mouth agape. She leaned over and caught his bottom lip between her teeth.

"I'm sorry. I promise to make it up to you." She said, trying to do her best impression of a sexy school girl from a bad porno.

Clint couldn't stay mad after that, bursting out with laughter and putting his hand on her waist as he drank the last of his champagne. "Oh, I can think of a few ways." He told her, rearranging her hair over her shoulder so it covered the love bite he'd made on her neck, before exiting the limo that she hadn't noticed had stopped and holding the door open for her.

Darcy laughed with him and felt the urge to hold his hand as they walked to the entrance of this fancy restaurant; she'd never been to a place like this before! She stopped herself as her hand was halfway between them. Apparently, she didn't need to worry as Clint linked his fingers into hers as a doorman let them in. She smiled brightly at him, not caring about the others and what they thought if he didn't care either.

She couldn't remember the last time she was this happy. Every aspect of her life was finally whole, and it was a great feeling.

Family, check. She had finally gotten around to emailing her dad this afternoon, giving him a quick update of her life, although ninety percent were half-truths. She'd forgotten to tell him about the chocolates, but she thought she might just buy him some and ship them over to Philadelphia as a surprise.

Career, check. She was going to be a motherfucking S.H.I.E.L.D Agent!

Health, check. She'd never been fitter in her life thanks to those damn training and gym sessions she had to partake in.

Friends, check. Her friends were all super. Some literally.

Love life, triple check!

How could anything go wrong? She pondered briefly as she greeted everyone who had already sat down at their large table, ordering a bottle of brandy for later from the star struck waiter who was only around her age.

Xxxxxx

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I hope you all enjoyed reading this, and as always, reviews are very much welcome and appreciated.

Thank you,

Charlie


	16. Chapter 16

Breathe

Xxxxxx

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Lenetra – I loved writing possessive Clint. I felt he'd be really desperate and too used to losing people he cared about in his line of work, so when he gets the chance to get that person back, he'd take it with both hands. Clint is a good boy and he has his orders, one of which includes not telling Darcy who her dad is, his hands are tied, it's just a question of if his love for her is enough to risk losing her again and getting in trouble with his bosses for telling the truth. It's a tough one... Anyway, I'm so glad you are still enjoying my story as it's still far from over! Thanks for your lovely long review, I loved reading it and get so excited to hear how much you like it as well! Enjoy this one and let me know what you think of the developments ;-)

MiraResQNU – I've taken an educated guess that you reviewed but weren't signed in based on the things you mentioned. I've read that LJC fic, I really enjoyed it and think that was one of the reasons I became so hooked to the Clint/Darcy ship. I liked the Loki and Darcy relationship in that fic and would be lying if I said it hadn't influenced me a bit into making them friends here. The cute animal thing wasn't related to her story and I almost completely forgot about that scene until you reminded me! Anyway, I'm happy you liked my last chapter, it's such a good feeling to have a happy loved up couple in story and I've missed writing them together :-( Thank you for comparing me to LJC, I take that as a huge compliment as her story is great and funny! Thanks again for another review and I can't wait to see what you make of all my plot bunnies in this one either... Enjoy!

Mushroomking98 – I'm incredibly jealous of Darcy, hence why I feel the need to cause angst in her life otherwise it would just be too perfect and I'd start to hate her! Thanks for the review, it made me laugh. I hope you like this chapter and she doesn't make you too envious by the end of it ;-)

Katie-Kakes – You're welcome! I'm so happy things are going well for them again, it was such a tough time for them, and honestly, I was losing faith in the story the more I wrote them apart, so I'm happy things are back on track and glad you are too! I hope you enjoy this new chapter and I can't wait to hear what you think in another one of your lovely reviews!

Little Miss Michelle – WooHoo! I'm glad you like the whole Agent Darcy thing, I was worried people would think it was all a little too easy... Thanks for the review, you actually made me do a fist pump when I read it, like that should be her catchphrase or war cry lol.

Risalyn – Sorry to disappoint, I didn't like keeping them apart much longer and I needed them together for the rest of the story to happen. Plus, it had been a while since I had a good sex scene ;-) I'm glad you're liking the story and can't wait to hear what you think of the next!

Kenzie – Oh my! 5 times? I admit, I loved writing the last chapter but had no idea anyone would enjoy reading it so much they would re-read it that many times! Thank you! That is such a compliment, you have no idea how much it means to me! Thank you for your amazing review and I really hope this update doesn't let you down. I hope you enjoy reading it!

Kritters03 – Sorry the update was a bit longer than usual! I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint although it's kind of filler i'm afraid, but hey, we need some fun so here it goes! Thanks again for another great review, you are such an amazing reader, I can't thank you enough!

Patpat – Your wish is my command! I hope you like this chapter, it's a bit of a filler chapter but I think our couple deserve a break from trouble for a little while. I'm going to send you a PM so watch out for it. But i just wanted to thank you here for another lovely review and I really hope you like this next chapter and it meets the 'good feelings' you've been having! Thanks again!

Guest No. 1 – Thank you for your review! I wish I could have a name to put with all your lovely comments about Clint's reaction to naming their first born Ironman and Fury getting an ear full when Darcy's dad comes knocking lol!

Guest No. 2 – Darcy does tempt fate, 'how could anything go wrong?' is her blissful mind finally able to breath but not think about how much of a stupid thought that was! I'm happy you liked the teasing and wish I could thank you by name but I hope you like this new chapter! Thanks for your lovely review!

Guest No. 3 – Thanks for your lovely comments about Clint and Darcy back together, I'm glad you liked your pun about them being 'Love Birds' as well, I may have to steal that idea so wish I had a name to put with your review! Ahrgg! Anyway, thank you again for your review and let me know who you are so I can credit you when I sneak in that love bird thing ;-)

Guest No. 4 – The waiter is not important. I just wanted to reflect how crazy Darcy's life was compared to other people around her age. I wasn't really trying hard but he's not relevant... or is he! No... he's not. Sorry, I can't do that mystery thing very well. I'm a terrible liar. Although I will be mysterious and tell you her dad will appear... someday! I hope you like this update and thanks for your wonderful review and plot theories, I really love reading them and hearing what you think of each chapter!

Guest No. 5 – Wow, I love the shouty caps, thank you so much for reassuring me that the chapter was good, I'm so thrilled you liked it. Thank you for the comment about if the writer isn't happy then the readers can pick up on it, because it completely relates to some trouble I was having a little while back, but I'm through it now! Thanks again!

Guest No. 6 – Thanks! I will write more and have already written 9 chapters for a sequel so there is plenty more to come! I hope you know this is you, but thanks for your kind comments and I hope you like this chapter.

Dani – I have no plan on stopping anytime soon! I just love playing with these characters and hope you love reading them as much as I love writing them! Thank you for the review, I really appreciate hearing what people think of my story and your review pushed me to publish this next chapter when I should be working lol. Thanks!

BabeRuthless1985 – Your welcome, but you totally deserved a shout out, actually, you deserve a lot more but I don't have much more to give than my thanks! Of course Fury knows about Clint and Darcy! The man knows everything in his base and used Darcy's emotions to get her to sign up as an agent! Fury is a dick, but we still love him ;-) I'm glad you like the Tony and Darcy stuff, I always feel like I have no control over Tony in this story, which is a strange feeling to have when you're the one writing him :-S Anyway, I hope you like the next chapter and thanks again for your brilliant review! I can't wait to hear what you make of this update!

Booklover9477 – I'm so happy you liked that chapter! Yay! I feel like a stalker with you, asking you about your username and stuff... Anyway, I'm so glad you are enjoying my story and hope you like this new chapter, your thoughts and opinions mean so much to me and are a great indicator that the characters/plot points I'm trying to make are actually working! So thank you for that, I can't wait to hear what you make of this chapter and you are waaaay to kind with your compliments, you're making me blush! Thanks again!

KennaWynters – I'm glad you liked them making up ;-) I loved writing it, they deserve a moment of happiness after all that trouble. You are too sweet, although if you show me a picture that really shows off his amazing stare then i will be lost to the world and may never be able to focus on this story for long enough ever again! I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to insult your Beta, it was meant to be a joke, but tone doesn't really come across in words so I really wasn't trying to offend you or him! Sometimes I forget that everyone, including me, has a real life :-( I hope you like this chapter and thank you for another brilliant and incredibly kind review! You are amazing and I can't thank you enough!

Dhauren – I love life affirming moments. Darcy seems to really embrace them and I like that about her ;-) Darcy needs to get her priorities in order but she's still confused, naive and young, although that excuse won't last for long once she starts training to be an agent. This is a girl who, in the middle of a Destroyer fight in a small New Mexico town, risked her life to save a dog! She's never been good at thinking straight in moments of crisis lol. Thanks for your brilliants review and I'm glad you liked the dirty stuff ;-) I hope you like this next chapter although it's a little filler-y.

Jump With Jess – First off, I took out the full stops so ff . net won't instantly erase half your username like they did in my last chapter, secondly, thank you! I'm so glad you liked that chapter and can't believe you think it's the best yet! I'm stunned and flattered all at once! I hope you like the next but I don't think it can ever live up to the last. Thanks again and I can't wait to hear what you think.

Mylove24 – Thank you for another brilliant review, your constant support through your reviews are amazing and I can't thank you enough for all the wonderful things you say, they really drive me to get through chapters and write when I feel blocked because they inspire me so much. Anyway, soppy bit over. Darcy is a big neon sign for trouble! It's only a matter of time before something else goes wrong I'm afraid.

WolfDarkfur – Sorry to keep you in suspense but the mystery of her daddy won't be so hidden for much longer. Don't feel bad, everyone's love of Darcy and Clint is obvious, hence why we turn to fanfiction when what they give us in the movies is not enough! I hope you like this chapter and thank for another funny and kind review! I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I did writing it!

Xxxxxx

Hey everyone! Sorry the update was a bit longer than usual, I had an interview last week at my job for a promotion and I GOT IT! I'm so happy, I only found out today, but I haven't had much time or focus to put into the story so hence the long update time. Anyway, I hope this chapter makes up to for the wait and I'd like to once again thank my brilliant Beta, Sandra!

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Chapter 15

"Urh." Darcy moaned as she walked slowly back to her room. Her legs were stiff and her arms ached. Agility training should have its name changed to 'Throw random stuff at Darcy until she falls over while she tried to run an obstacle course' training. She felt pleased with how well she did, only managing to trip a couple of times and even managed to do a cool forward roll at one point that in retrospect probably didn't look as bitchin' as it felt.

It was only 10:30 in the morning and Darcy just wanted to relax in a bath and watch crappy TV the rest of the day. But she couldn't, she told herself. She had signed up to be an agent, and she knew that meant pushing herself to near breaking points and this wasn't even the beginning. She had a meeting at 11 with the Avengers crew, and then she had some introduction thing with some other trainee agents after lunch which would take up the rest of her afternoon.

She beamed as she reached her apartment door, opening it took more energy than she thought. Then this evening she had her date with Clint. A proper date. She had no idea what his plans were, but if it was anything like last night, then she would be more than happy. They still hadn't properly talked since after their limo fun; they just went straight into the restaurant with the others. She had questions she wanted to ask, mainly about what exactly happened in that battle, about this healer he mentioned and how he was walking around so easily considering how his injuries almost killed him. She wanted to see his body too. She told herself it was a curiosity thing, but she really just wanted to reassure herself that he was okay and there was nothing life threatening hidden under his shirt.

She opened the door and shut it behind her, not glancing back. Jane was probably in the lab; she usually went to the briefings from there, but Darcy announced just in case. "Jane, I'm back. Gonna take a quick shower then change for the meeting!" She called loud enough so where ever Jane was in the apartment she could hear before going into her room and getting ready.

She opened her music on her laptop and started blasting some dance tunes as she showered and washed her hair, wanting to feel as fresh and clean as possible when she met all the other newbies later.

The hot water washed over her body, her mind started to wonder back to Clint, as it often did when she was alone. She felt nervous about their date, which was ridiculous considering they spent every night nearly for the past month together, but there was something about him wanting to go out of S.H.I.E.L.D HQ that made her worry. Something had definitely changed, because last time she checked, fraternization was against company policy, even more so now that he was a direct superior of hers.

She thought back to last night and how everyone reacted when she walked in holding hands with him. Tony had whooped loudly, announcing the development to anyone who might not have noticed yet. They both rolled their eyes at him and sat down quickly, answering the few question the team had.

"I knew something was going on with you!" Jane pointed at Darcy.

Darcy gave a short laugh and looked sternly at the doctor. "You thought I had a thing for Bruce!" She reminded her, not feeling at all embarrassed at this gossip, but it caused Jane to blush. Darcy smirked and did a fist pump at her accomplishment, proving Jane wrong about something!

"Me?" Bruce asked bashfully from the corner of the table. Darcy winked at him before grabbing Clint's hand under the table and intertwining their fingers.

"Sorry, big guy. Maybe if I met you first..." She let the idea trail out in the open. Darcy noticed how Natasha smiled at her; it was surprising considering she was flirting with her love interest and as far as Darcy was aware, Natasha was still angry with her. Darcy felt a spark of curiosity at what could have changed.

"I'm confused. When exactly did this happen?" Tony asked, shaking his hand in the direction of Darcy and Clint.

"Er…" Darcy looked over at Clint, it was one of those rare moments when she knew not to open her mouth and say the first thing that came to mind. She looked at him for support and permission. He leaned down and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek.

"I spent some time giving her the basic S.H.I.E.L.D training; you could say it started around then." His answer was partially true, she supposed. It was a good answer, much better than she would have been able to articulate, which would have sounded something like 'we totally macked on the roof during the Chitauri attack, thanks Tony!'

"Jane, did Hawkeye give you your training?" Thor asked his girlfriend, his face worried. Clint threw the God of Thunder an appalled glare before turning his attention to the menu on the table, his eyes scanning the various foods the restaurant served. He gave Darcy's hand a little squeeze under the table and moved their hands into his lap.

Jane laughed. "No, sweetie."

"I am pleased to hear that."

"You sly dog, Barton! How old are you Darcy, twenty three?" Tony piped up again. She nodded at his guess, taking a sip of the water that was already on the table. "And you're thirty five?" He directed his question to Clint.

"Thirty eight." Clint answered, correcting Tony with a wince. Darcy only rolled her eyes at his discomfort for admitting he was older than he looked.

"You sly dog!" Tony said, echoing his words.

Darcy shook her head and looked down at the menu. She didn't care about the age difference; after all, it didn't feel like he was fifteen years older than her. He was in peak physical form and sure he was more mature, but Darcy just put that down to his job and not the fact he was born in the 70's, plus he still liked to joke around with her when they were alone; so she never felt too young with him.

"Really?" Darcy tilted her head and pouted at Ironman. "If anyone is a 'sly dog' around this table then it's Thor. He's _actually_ a thousand years old."

"She is accurate." Thor agreed, raising his glass. How many had he had now? Darcy hoped she really didn't have to be the one to help carry a drunken Norse God home.

There was a moment of silence as everyone settled down and looked at what food to order, Darcy had to let go of Clint's hand but gave his upper thigh a quick squeeze before turning the pages of the very fancy menu. It was on that thick kind of card stock that felt rough when she ran her fingers over it. Corrugated? No, that's not what it's called, she told herself. Anyway, it wasn't laminated or easy to wipe like any restaurant she would usually go to.

"So this happened, what? Three weeks ago?" Tony interrupted the silence with more questions causing a few of them to groan. Why was he so interested? Darcy stopped herself from swearing out loud at his pestering. He had produced a pen from his inside jacket pocket and was now drawing on a napkin. Darcy could just about make out it was a timeline from the angle she was sitting.

"Yeah." Darcy answer was frustrated albeit hesitant, not sure where he was going with this.

"So, that was a week after the battle?" Tony continued.

"Yeah." Clint replied, the same sceptical tone that she just had.

"Pepper?"

"Yes, dear?" Pepper sounded less amused than Darcy felt.

"This is my most successful match make to date!" He announced as he passed the napkin to Pepper. "I thought my game was off after the whole Natalie and Happy thing."

"I beg your pardon?" Natasha asked, glaring over the top of her menu.

"Nothing!" Tony called out innocently and sent a panicked look at Pepper and mouthed the word 'abort'. To give Pepper all due respect, she just nodded and went back to chatting with Jane about the wine selection.

Clint sighed next to her, and Darcy just laughed at Tony's antics. "Sorry to burst your bubble, but you didn't set us up." Clint felt obligated to tell the older man.

"Nonsense. I dropped her into your lap! As in, I literally put her in front of you on that roof."

"I'm right here." Darcy said dryly, not liking the way Tony was talking about her as if she wasn't visible. "Hello."

"Hi, princess." Tony winked at her before focusing back on Hawkeye. "All I'm saying is that this warrants best man status."

Darcy rubbed her hand up and down Clint's leg as he continued to argue with Ironman. Silly boys. "You will never be my best man."

"Yeah, hasn't Natasha already called dibs on that?" Darcy tried to lighten the mood as the testosterone was rising rapidly with Tony and Clint about to challenge each other to a duel.

"I don't call dibs." Natasha cleared up.

The young waiter came back with a large tray of drinks balanced on his shoulder. He placed various glasses around the table to everyone, Darcy was amazed at his ability to remember everyone's order and not spill any liquid in the process.

Thor was having his usual large beer, while Jane and Pepper both went with the sophisticated choice of red wine. Darcy didn't know what Tony was drinking, but it was a dark but warm looking color. He placed a large bottle of clear alcohol in front of Natasha and a shot glass. Wow, Darcy thought, you can take the girl out of Russia but not the Russian out of the girl. The Cap and Clint were having beers as well, and Darcy decided to go for a diet coke, she already felt buzzed enough from the champagne on an empty stomach; she better slow it down for now. The young guy finally placed the customary glass of room temperature water in front of Bruce, who appeared to be the designated Avenger for the night. Then again, he never drank; so he must be the designated Avenger every night.

Darcy noticed how the waiter flinched slightly as he put the last drink on the table by Dr Banner. She wasn't the only one either, as she watched Bruce purse his lips together and Natasha glare up at the attendant afterwards. It must be hard for him. He had spent so long hiding and suppressing that side of him, only to feel a bit accepted in the Avengers. Then they were suddenly everywhere! On every TV channel, top headlines of nearly every newspaper, they were even developing toys of them all. And yet, people feared him while cheering and adoring the rest of the team.

Darcy couldn't blame the waiter; after all, she was frightened of being close to Bruce after she first discovered it was him that was hurled through the window of Tony's building, scaring her off the edge of the balcony. And it wasn't the young guy's fault that the TV tended to focus on the 'mistake of having Hulk be part of a team sworn to protect, when all he wanted to do was smash' than all the good Hulk had done that day. The Avengers didn't stand a chance against the Chitauri and those giant snake whale things until Dr Banner's alter ego showed up and still, the public didn't see it like that.

"Is it not customary for the couple in the longest relationship to wed first?" Thor asked, all eyes turned to Tony and Pepper. He seemed unfazed by it and simply shrugged.

"When I propose, trust me, you'll all know."

"When?" Pepper asked, one of her perfectly shaped eyebrows rose at him.

Tony made a small strangled noise, the same noise he made when people tried to hand him things Darcy noticed. He looked around the room for a distraction and found the young man waiting to take their order.

"Now all we have to do is find Cap a girl." Clint leaned over and whispered, his hot breath tickling the shell of her ear. She turned to face him, their noses almost touching.

"Is Coulson still single?" Darcy suggested. The smile that broke out on Clint's face was priceless. It reached his eyes, which crinkled in the corners as he let out a husky laugh that went straight to Darcy's lower belly. He lowered his forehead and looked up through his eyelashes causing his forehead to crease and Darcy swore that this look was the male equivalent of girls pushing their boobs out while throwing their head back in laughter. That look should be illegal. Especially when he was wearing that sexy skinny tie and she was still hot from their last encounter. "I bet he'd look stunning in a cocktail dress and heels."

"You are so fucking amazing." He gave her a quick kiss before raising his beer glass. "To Darcy and her joining the ranks of S.H.I.E.L.D." He toasted and she blushed as everyone congratulated her in various ways, making sure to clink her glass with everyone else's.

"To hopefully not getting killed during my first week!" Was all she could say in response.

Darcy didn't feel so confident now, as she washed the sweat out of her hair. She stepped out of the shower and started absentmindedly, singing along with the song that was currently playing on her laptop as she wrapped a towel around her damp body.

She switched the music off and opened the internet to watch the interview that Clint had this morning. She wanted to watch it live but had already made plans to run around and have people throw things at her for fun.

She perched on the edge of her desk chair, not caring that her hair was dripping on the counter top. As the show's title music played she couldn't help but smile at how much Clint hated this stuff and yet he now had to sit on that high stool with a charming grin plastered on his face as he made nice with the hosts. She clapped a little when they announced that Hawkeye would be joining them today; she knew no one would hear her applause but still gave a small cheer when he walked across the studio waving at the audience. He shook hands with the male host and kissed the woman on the cheek before unbuttoning his suit jacket and sitting down on the chair across from them.

"Welcome! It's great to have our first Avenger on the show!" The perky blonde woman greeted him. She was all legs and hair, and Darcy wondered how she managed to sit on that stool without flashing the camera her underwear, something Darcy was sure she could never achieve.

"Thank you, it's great to be here." Darcy's smile got wider at Clint's relaxed and pleasant tone. She could already feel herself melt at his charm. Good luck not falling in love with this guy, America! She couldn't help but think. "Oh, and congratulations on the baby!" He opened his palms towards the male host and the audience clapped. Darcy raised an eyebrow; she knew Clint had no idea who these people were; he must have researched them before going on the show like the good little S.H.I.E.L.D Agent he was. He was such a boy scout sometimes, Darcy snorted.

"Thank you, yes, he's four weeks today." The older man announced to another round of applause. "What about you? Any kids in your life?"

"No, no." Clint laughed good-heartedly as he looked at his feet before lifting his eyes to the hosts. Darcy felt outraged; he was doing that look he did that made her warm and fuzzy inside! How dare he try and make people fall in love with him by using that look! It was silly and irrational, but Darcy wanted to be the only person who got the pleasure of that look. "There's no one special in my life." He sounded sad, and Darcy didn't know if it was him faking loneliness or genuinely sad for having to play a part he hated on TV.

There was a collective 'Awww' and she couldn't help roll her eyes at how the audience seemed to react to everything in this over the top way.

"Come on! How are you still single?" The blonde woman asked, playing right into Clint's hand as he continued with Becky's plan.

"I just haven't met the right woman. Though I love kids, I'm just not good at babysitting! So don't ask me to look after little Oscar anytime soon!"

"Oh no! What happened?" The woman asked her eyes wide and bright. Darcy wondered how someone could be so happy and smiley and yet not come across false or patronizing at all. Darcy had a sudden respect for the female host ; that must take skill.

"This was years and years ago." Clint groaned, then went on to tell the audience a story about a very early mission he did for S.H.I.E.L.D that went horribly wrong. She wondered if the story was real or not, she'd have to ask him later. "So, there I was running down the streets of Morocco with a baby in one arm, a diaper bag over my shoulder and handcuffed to this broken metal chair!" The audience were up in stitches as he finished the story and the male host was wiping tears from his eyes.

"Oh my! What happened to the baby?"

"We found the mother a few days later; she was fine and so grateful. She took the little girl back home but not before all the men in the squad fell in love with her!"

"I can just see it now, twenty soldiers playing peek-a-boo with a six month old!" The lady laughed.

Clint smirked and nodded lightly. "I was the worst. I cried like a baby when she was gone. Anyway, after everyone found out, I had colleagues lining out the door asking me to be the Godfather of their kids." Darcy suddenly knew what he was doing. Clint was humanizing S.H.I.E.L.D, turning this huge faceless organization that no one knew about until the world was attack by aliens and making it relatable to the general public. And by the sounds of the audience, he was doing a great job at it.

"I bet." The man agreed. "We're looking for a Godfather so if you're available…"

"How could I say no?" Clint smiled brightly.

"It would nice to know if Oscar ever got in trouble then we'd have a master spy to help out!"

The audience erupted in laughter again and the interview continued onto more serious matters. Clint spoke about the Chitauri and assured everyone that they were gone and never coming back. He then went on to talk about the various clean-up crews that were out there because of S.H.I.E.L.D's funding, helping get the city back together again, without sounding too much like he was trying to win the audience's approval.

The lady asked him about what S.H.I.E.L.D did, and Clint gave a vague but satisfying answer where he basically just said the full acronym and hoped no one actually noticed.

"We're a strategic homeland organization that deals with logistics and various types of intervention and enforcement." God that was a mouthful, Darcy thought, hoping she could just get away without ever having to say all those long and important sounding words.

Then, they asked him about the pictures that surfaced of Thor carrying him injured out at City Hall less than 2 days ago.

"That looks a lot worse than it was." The smiling Clint on TV explained.

"Liar." Darcy poked at his tiny face on the screen, which caused the pixels to discolour and distort for a second. Darcy absentmindedly listened to the rest of the interview while she got dried off and dressed for the meeting.

She grabbed her notepad and pen from the desk and remembered that she didn't need to take notes for Jane anymore. Wait, now that she wasn't Jane's assistant was she even supposed to go to these meetings? She suddenly thought about it, and her question was answered when she opened the door to her bedroom and found Hawkeye sitting on her kitchen counter. He was still wearing the same suit that he wore for the TV interview and was swinging his legs back and forth in a very bored way. She wondered why he sat up there when there was a comfy sofa two feet away.

He jumped down and gave Darcy a searing kiss that she responded to immediately, opening her mouth and pushing her tongue out to meet his.

"Hi."

"Hey." She smiled brightly at him, feeling very warm after his surprise appearance and affections. "I saw you on TV." She informed him as she grabbed an apple from the fridge and took a bite.

"You did?" He looked at the fruit in her hand and wrinkled his nose up. "You keep apples in the fridge?"

Darcy shrugged. "Nah, Jane does. She puts everything in there, even bread. You get used to it after a while."

"Weird." Clint easily grabbed the offending fruit from her hand and took a bite as well, before kissing her lips lightly, his mouth full.

"Hey!"

"What?" His voice was muffled as he chewed, a cheeky grin on his face, showing he knew exactly why she was annoyed.

"That's the first thing I've had to eat all day!" It was true, she had skipped breakfast this morning, her stomach was in knots with anticipation and she knew food wouldn't help.

"One of the first things I learnt in training was to eat whenever I could." Clint told her. "For reasons exactly like this."

"Boyfriends who can't keep their hands off other people's food?"

"No." He whined, sticking his tongue out before licking the apple juices front the corners of his mouth. "Because, you never know when you'll have enough strength to eat again."

"Lame. The first thing I learned was not to fall on my ass while being hit with random flying objects." To emphasis her point, she began to rub the sore flesh which had been targeted multiple times that morning.

"That's good too." Clint smiled as they made their way to the door. Clint grabbed Darcy's notebook as they went, reminding her of the times boys used to offer to hold her books at school just so they would walk with her. She smiled at his sweet gesture. "You've got a nice ass; it would be a shame to bruise it." He ran his hand over her behind before she could stop him, damn he was quick! So much for sweet, she thought but laughed at his naughty antics.

"I know, right?" She teased back.

They waited a couple of seconds by the elevator and stepped in. Darcy was glad to find it empty as she pressed the button numbered 16. "What did Becky think of the interview?" She asked as the doors slid closed.

Clint's face scrunched up in dislike. "She loved it. Her exact words were 'You did so much better than I expected.'"

"Is that a good or a bad thing?" Darcy couldn't tell if that was an insult or not.

"I dunno." Apparently, Clint couldn't either. Darcy suddenly found her back pressed against the side of the elevator. She opened her mouth to gasp and yell at Clint, but he took that moment to capture her lips with his. It didn't take long before she responded with a moan. He tasted sharp, it was an odd way to describe it, but Darcy really couldn't find a better word to explain the wonderful mixture of spice, apples and something that was distinctively Clint.

"I have something for you." He finally released her, though his arms didn't loosen their grip on her hips.

"Is it your penis?" She asked dazed, her eyes heavily lidded. He laughed into her throat as he left a trail of kisses and Darcy's eyes snapped open. Fuck. She said that out loud. "Fuck, sorry." Her face was hot, and she wasn't sure if it was because of her embarrassing comment or the insanely hot man pressed against her in a confined space.

"No, it's not my penis."

Darcy felt a bit disappointed, but it quickly passed. "What'd you get me?" Her eyes were wide, like a kid at Christmas.

"Ah ah. Not yet." He moved to the other side of her neck, and she groaned in frustration. "First you need to tell me how amazing I am."

Darcy gave a light snort, but she decided to play along and stroke his ego, after all, she was still trying to earn brownie points with him after freaking out and deserting him. "God, you're amazing!" She moaned, it came out more velvety and seductive than she intended, but he was nibbling her ear lobe and he knew how much she loved that! Damn him and his awesome tongue.

"And how I'm the best lover you've ever had." He practically purred in her ear.

"The best. You've ruined me." Her lips brushed his ear as she spoke, she felt him shiver. Payback, she smiled.

"And tell me I'm the best archer in the world." His hands had snaked under her top and grazed the underside of her breasts before she laughed.

Laying her hands lightly on his chest, she pushed him back. It completely spoiled the moment, but she couldn't stop her big mouth. "Dude, you ran out of arrows in the middle of a battle. Seriously, that doesn't seem like a super archer thing to happen." Clint's eyes flashed with anger, but she knew her teasing didn't really affect him. "Does it?" She pressed, poking him in the chest with her index finger when he didn't respond.

"I didn't run out."

"Yeah, but you used your last arrow to tie me up and abandon me, in a burning building I might add!"

"I said I was sorry about that!" Clint put his hands in his suit pockets.

"I believe you said you were sorry but would do it again if you had to. Is that really an apology?" Darcy pointed at him, her other hand resting on her hip. "If so, I need to teach you some manners."

"Fine. Here," He handed her a small object, and she looked down to see it was wrapped in a brown ribbon. "Do you forgive me now?"

She took whatever it was from his hands and held it closer to her. It took a second to realize because it had been so long since she'd last seen it, but she broke into a huge grin and flung her arms around Clint's neck, making sure to press her boobs into him as a little extra bonus.

"My iPod!" She leaned back and gave Clint a happy kiss. "How'd you get this? Coulson said it was destroyed with loads of other stuff from New Mexico."

"I have my ways." He winked quickly at her. "Just don't tell Coulson."

"God, you are totally forgiven! You are the most amazing marksman, lover, boyfriend, whatever! You are just amazing." She picked up his hand and brought it to her lips and gave each of his knuckles a kiss.

"Boyfriend?" Clint asked, his tone playful.

"Yes. If you'll have me?" Darcy said, now holding his hand loosely in hers. He looked down at their joined hands. Her thumb was lightly stroking the edge of the scar on his wrist.

"Darcy Lewis. I am never letting you go." Her heart filled with glee at his admission, but there was a little nagging feeling in the back of her head reminding her that he hadn't said he loved her. It was a perfect moment for it, and yet he avoided saying those words. She shook her head, trying to block out the voice that said Clint didn't love her like she loved him. After all, she couldn't say them either, not yet. Instead, she smiled brightly at her boyfriend. Her boyfriend who shot arrows and stole iPods from S.H.I.E.L.D to give to the needy, namely her.

"You're my real life Robin Hood." She stood on her tip toes and gave him a final kiss in perfect time as the doors slid open.

"My lady." He said, gesturing for her to leave first.

They headed to the meeting room, no longer holding hands because it was unprofessional, but she couldn't stop smiling. She must have looked insane for grinning so wide at nothing, but she didn't care. Fury could give her as many funny looks as he wanted but nothing was going to damper her mood today. Not even Becky and her annoying publicity ideas.

Xxxxxx

* * *

"Sir, the plan is ready." The young man spoke from the doorway leading into the dim office. He didn't dare go further into the room out of fear.

"Good, and the mole?" The gruff voice demanded.

"He has confirmed that Agent Clint Barton is in a relationship with Miss Lewis and has made an order for food to be delivered at the Head Office, calling the restaurant, we know the place and time."

"He is certain she will be there?"

"Er…" He couldn't say yes or no, both would be a lie. The young man struggled to find the right words. "It's sort of a romantic meal for two. He's pretty sure she'll be there." It wasn't a lie. Their informant inside S.H.I.E.L.D was very positive that this was what would happen, he knew better than to contact them with false or incomplete information.

"Fantastic." The older man smiled. He stood from his chair and pulled a book down from his bookshelf. "Come in. Sit." He offered to the young man, who visibly gulped. It wasn't really an invitation, more of a requirement. He hesitantly stepped inside the room and lowered down into the chair. It was uncomfortable, or maybe it was just because that's how he felt. "Did I ever tell you how I started this company?"

"No, Sir."

"Good." The young man was confused by his comment. He was expecting some kind of back-story, after all, the boss had set it up as if he wanted to talk about the past. "I'm very good at reading people." He placed the book in the center of his desk and sat back down in his chair. "It's a very useful thing in this industry."

"Yes, Sir."

"Now you, sorry, what's your name again?" The boss asked, he was obviously flustered at his forgetfulness.

"It's Jenkins, Sir. Daniel Jenkins."

The man laughed to himself. "Jenkins. Good name. Strong name."

"Thank you, Sir."

"Yes," He seemed to remember his point and began where he left off. "Now, do you know what reading I get off you, Daniel Jenkins?"

"Only the best, I hope, Sir." Daniel was getting nervous now. His palms were sweating, and his collar was feeling tight around his neck.

"No, Daniel. I'm afraid it's not." Daniel's eyes flickered over to the door. Maybe he could run for it? He wouldn't get very far. They would stop him if it looked like he was running away. His eyes went back to the older man only to find a gun pointed directly at him.

"Sir-" He began to beg.

Daniel didn't even hear the sound of the gun before the chair fell backwards and his lifeless body was thrown by force and crumpled to the ground.

The older man sighed. He lowered his arm slowly and placed the gun back in his top drawer. He reached over his desk and picked up the cup of coffee that was now room temperature, taking a sip of the bitter liquid. There wasn't enough sugar in it for his likely, but he needed to watch his cholesterol and the doctor told him that the less sugar in his diet, the better.

Placing the cup back down on the coaster, he opened the book on his desk and lifted it up closer to his face. He gave a slight cough to settle his throat and started reading, completely ignoring the young man's body that was bleeding slowly in the floor in front of him.

He always loved a good book, and today was a day for one of his favorites. The Once and Future King. Taking a deep breath, he smiled at the scent of blood and success in the air and began to read.

Xxxxxx

* * *

Thanks for reading! I hope you liked it. As always, reviews are really appreciated and I love to hear what you make of each chapter. I hope I haven't lost too many of you with all these plot bunnies.

Thanks again and please review.

Charlie


	17. Chapter 17

Breathe

* * *

Kritters03 – As always, thank you. I hope you like the next couple of chapter!

Beloved Daughter – Hello! I'm so glad you're interested in my story. Don't worry, I've already finished writing this one so it's only however long it takes me to double check them and get my Beta to fix all my mistakes before I upload them.

Angel Bells – Thanks for the caps! I love the "perfect" moments with Clint and Darcy. I hope you like the next few chapters because it's the beginning of the climax now! Thank you again for another review, as a fanfic writer they are one of the few rewards we get. I hope this is enough of a fix for you as you'll be without a computer for so long! I can't go a day without looking up Darcy related stuff on AO3, FF. net or Tumblr so I imagine this will be hell!

Mushroomking98 – I completely agree, Jeremy Renner makes me lose all sense and ability to think straight and that's just watching him on a TV screen! I can't begin to imagine how ridiculously hot he would make me in person! Thanks for the review, you are such a loyal reviewer and I love reading your comments for each chapter.

Lenetra – Ahh, you are good questions. Is the bad man after revenge on Clint or Darcy's father... you'll have to wait and see! Returning a stolen iPod is true love. If a guy ever did that for me then I would marry him on the spot and instantly be impregnated. Although no one's ever unjustly confiscated any of my Apple products before... Anyway, thanks for another funny and lovely review! I can't to hear what you think as the story get to the begin of the end!

Kaite-Kakes97 – Thank you so much for your amazingly kind and ego boosting review, my head will not be able to fit through the doors if you continue to give compliments like that! I really hope you like where this is head and I'm so excited to hear your reaction to the stuff that's about to happen!

Booklover9477 – Laila, you are too kind! I am sitting at my office desk, red as a tomato so you have successes in making me blush from compliments! I hope you like this chapter, it's a little bit filler but I promise, chapter 18 will blow your mind! Thank you again for your constantly amazing reviews for each chapter, I cannot tell you how much your words inspire me, so thank you.

Cheers Darlin – First off, I love your penname! Is it anything to do with Logan from X-Men? Because that's what instantly came to mind when I saw it! Anyway, thanks for reviewing, I hope you like the twist although its not really a twist… I think everyone's figured out who her dad is except her, lol.

Risalyn – I'm glad you like unpredictable stories; although mine has a lot of foreshadowing so it's good to know I can still surprise you guys! This one is a little bit slow but the next one is one of my favorite so if you can hold on for one more chapter, I'm sure you won't be disappointed! Thanks again for reviewing, your comments always makes me smile and I totally re-read chapters all the time, so I can relate.

BabeRuthless1985 – I love everyone's love of Tony, I always feel like I knew do him justice but then I get all these amazing comments, like yours, and I'm so happy you like the way I write him! I don't think hooking Darcy and Clint up was his first thought as he dropped her onto that roof top but Tony's not blind and he likes to take credit for things lol. They will talk soon, it'll will be a difficult chat, especially for Clint. This chapter is a little bit filler but the next is where the plot really thickens! I hope you like it and thanks again for another kind and fantastic review, you are seriously too nice with your comments (not that I'm complaining, I love them!)

Little Miss Michelle – Thank you! I'm glad the relationship is kind of out in the open now, it makes it more real :-)

Patpat – Thanks! Not only for your review but the congratulations on my promotion, I can't believe people actually read my authors notes! I hope you like this chapter and can't wait to see what you think of it.

Dhauren – You'll have to wait and see, but this chapter is the beginning of the end so… So many people loved her 'your penis' thing, it's a total Darcy slip and I love that you did too!

Jump With Jess – Thanks for the job wishes, I started today and I must say, I'm loving it! So, I'm in such a good mood that I'm steaming through this chapter to post it asap for you. I hope you like it and thanks, as always, for your lovely comments.

Mylove24 – You're telling me! S.H.I.E.L.D should have told Darcy everything from day one, and now the poop is about to hit the fan! I hope you like this chapter; it's a bit calm before the storm so sorry if it's slow or boring. Thank you for your constant reviews, I really love reading what you think of my little fic.

GalahadsGurl – I like the way your mind works, I wish I could have come up with an awesome twist like that, but you'll have to wait and see. By the way, totally love your penname, I know it probably has nothing to do with Spamalot but it make me think of it. Anyway, thanks for the review, I love hearing what everyone's thoughts and ideas are about my story! And you're blew me away.

KennaWynters – Thanks! For the congrats and the comments. I know I've started to slack on the updating so will try to be better, now that I have the job, it means I don't have to work so hard to try and get it lol. Please feel free to vent at me, I completely get it! And I'm glad you liked the interview, I thought it was a bit filler-ish but it fitted in nicely with the flow of my story so I kept it in. Anyway, I can't wait to hear what you make of the next few chapters and thanks again for your brilliant and completely ego-boosting reviews!

Xxxxxx

Thanks for the best wishes on my new job, I can't believe how many of you sent good luck messages, it's just proof of how awesome the whole Clint/Darcy community is! I started today so should really be trying to look busy and hardworking rather than flick through the reviews for this fic! Aw well... You're all so amazing I couldn't wait any longer to thank you and upload this new chapter!

My reviews and hits are going down, which is disappointing to say the least, but I get that some of you don't like the direction or pace I'm writing this story at. It's just sad to know what a thousand people are reading this and only 17 or 18 are commenting. It makes me drive myself crazy thinking 'Why? What am I doing wrong?' So I know authors beg and it's really annoying, but if there's anything you think, good or bad, I want to know, otherwise I'll keep posting chapters and wondering why you don't love me :-(

Thank you Sandra. You are perfect and I will continue to believe you are a Goddess.

Xxxxxx

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Chapter 17

"So, where are we going tonight?" Darcy asked quietly as she left the meeting. Clint had hung back so he could walk with her instead of the other super agents, or at least Darcy assumed he had, because he was standing just outside the door and started following her when she came out after gathering her notebook and a few files from the meeting for Jane. There was no way that woman would be able to cope now that she wouldn't be there to help, Darcy thought sadly. She'd forget her own head if it wasn't screwed on or attached to Thor's face. "Like, how should I dress?" Darcy had to admit it; the idea of a date was exciting to her.

"It's your call. As long as it's something sexy." He told her, not actually answering her question or giving her a clue about what they would be doing. She scowled up at him; he was wearing his 'Stern Mr. Agent Face' as Darcy liked to call it, a picture of seriousness, except the gleam in his eye. It was the same look she loathed when she first met him on that roof, now she couldn't help the smile that betrayed her narrowed eyes as he winked at her. Ass. He was no longer wearing his jacket, which he had slung over his shoulder and Darcy fought every urge she had to not look down at the opening in his shirt. She knew what lie beneath the thin material, but the small amount of light hair she could see peeking above the last fixed button was begging her to run her hands over. Did he know how sexy he looked? She raised her eyes back up to his, damn; he was smirking, having seen her line of sight. Ass, she thought again, of course he knew how badly his body was affecting hers; but that didn't mean he had to look so smug about it.

"You're not taking me to a strip club are you, because I told you the last time..." She let her sentence trail off, only realizing she spoke a bit too loudly when Natasha in front of her turned around, giving Darcy a stern look for her naughty joke.

Some of Clint's cocky resolve faltered as he cracked a smile. "Darcy, just bring a jacket." He paused, as if rethinking his last statement. "And some ones." A cheeky smile and wink were the last things she saw before he followed the other agents and Fury into another room.

She opened her mouth to retort but only found a shut door. She dropped her head and smiled at her feet, before making her way back down the hall towards the big conference hall that she and all the newbie agents were supposed to meet in. She would get there early but didn't mind, it's good to make a good first impression. She always thought that was why she got the internship with Jane, because she showed up keen, smart and shook her hand when offered. She had charmed Jane, fooling her into thinking her knowledge of science went beyond just political or high school level biology. She was a little bit disheartened when she found out she only got the position because she was the only one who applied and not because of her sparkling personality, but she didn't let that get her down for long. Later that afternoon when Jane and Darcy were standing in the middle of the New Mexico desert, looking at the moon that was out even during the day and joking about the waiter at the cafe, Darcy didn't begrudge how or why she was there; she was just happy to have a good friend and an interesting work experience.

Darcy smiled at the memory as she took a small gadget out of her pocket and unwrapped her old headphones from around the iPod then turned it on. She couldn't help but laugh out loud when she saw her old playlists exactly how she left them except one. It was labelled 'Bad Ass Agent Lewis' Soundtrack', and upon opening it, she saw familiar songs, ranging from new metal to instrumental movie themes. All of them had some lyric or beat to them that would be perfect for an action movie and just what she needed as she strolled along the winding corridors. She would have to find a very creative way to say thank you to her boyfriend later, and she already had a few _very _kinky ideas that she knew Clint would love.

She was so glad that everything was back on track between them. It had only been a couple days of angst and hurt, but it felt epically long. She still didn't feel strong enough yet to battle every problem that they came across like Thor and Jane or Tony and Pepper seemed to be, but they were on their way. They'd overcome their first big issue, which Darcy thought was a pretty BIG issue, all things considered. They still came back to each other, although their conversations when they were alone are now handled with more trepidation than before. Darcy had to reassure herself that in normal relationships the usual big issues are not even half as bad as what happened to Clint; so it made sense it wasn't back to 'normal' because 'normal' was still ridiculously insane, but it didn't really help.

All that mattered was that they were back together, and she was going to make it up to him for being so understanding and accepting and perfect and so cut! She felt herself gushing, but as she was alone in the hallway and no one could read her thoughts, she didn't care! She wondered if the shops sold whipped cream and blindfolds but had to shake her head, now was not the time to get distracted by her imagination.

Feeling pumped and ready to face anything with her new bitchin' soundtrack, Darcy popped out her ear buds and shoved the music device back into her pocket as she opened the door to the conference room.

There were about fifteen other people in the room, she quickly counted. A few heads turned around, and she was met with a couple of fleeting and quizzically looks. She smiled brightly, giving a small wave, which seemed a bit out of place in this room full of serious and nervous people, then went to sit on one of the freestanding chairs towards the back.

Darcy looked down at her clothes. She was dressed smartly, a knee length office skirt and a shirt, but she was also wearing her favorite burgundy knit cardigan over the top as the lower levels of S.H.I.E.L.D's base always tended to be colder. She looked completely out of place compared to the others, who were all dressed in those dark blue jumpsuits that S.H.I.E.L.D liked so much. She felt the familiar feeling of peer pressure and judgment, but she didn't succumb to it in high school; so she wasn't about to let it bring her down now, especially because she currently had the Pirates of the Caribbean theme running through her head. Fuck yeah, she was awesome and they could all suck it.

"That's her." She heard one of the women a few feet in front of her say. Darcy just rolled her eyes. She didn't know what they were talking about, but she was definitely the odd one out in this room, which made it easy to assume that she was the subject of their conversation. Her gaze turned to another group of people that were pointing. She sighed. What the hell was everyone's problem? They were looking at her as if she was some kind of freak. Well, Darcy decided, she'd show them.

Not moving from her relaxed position on the chair, she spoke. "Yep, it's me!" She tried to sound as warm and friendly as possible, but it just came out a dry as she felt. On purpose she caught the eyes of a couple of the people staring at her. "Why don't you just put your hands up, and I'll go round the room for a little Q and A?" Yes, her words were dipped in sarcasm now. What was their problem? Darcy was kind of worried that Tony might have started a malicious rumour about her already, but she didn't think he was that cruel.

As she expected, most people shut up and averted their gaze. Except one man. He looked cocky, his light blonde hair was swept to the side like one of those teen idols Darcy couldn't care to learn the names of. She would have said he was attractive if it wasn't for the twisted smirk on his face. His hand was raised casually in the air, egging her on.

"Seriously?" Darcy rubbed her forehead with her hand, a sigh threatening to spill. "After my obvious sarcastic and bitter tone, you still want to continue with this?" The guy only shrugged and raised an eyebrow at her, daring her. Darcy felt her eyes narrow and was briefly thankful she'd worn eyeliner today. From now on, he shall be known as Dickflap, she christened him internally. "Fine, whatever. Whaddaya wanna know, Draco Malfoy?" She asked, a sickly sweet smile on her lips as she made reference to the little shit in Harry Potter he reminded her of. Obviously, a few other people agreed, because she heard someone stifle a laugh, and one person was just flat out snorting with amusement.

He lowered his hand, that arrogant as fuck smile not wavering at her insult. "I'm sure I speak on behalf of everyone when I ask what he's like?" The room was silent. Darcy could actually hear the air conditioner blowing in the ceiling. Geez, why was everyone so uptight? She looked around at all the probing yet, serious faces. Darcy decided she was definitely the odd one out of this group; she was clearly the only one without a stick up her ass.

"What's whose like?" Playing innocent seemed like the best way to go. Plus, she didn't actually know with certainty who Dickflap was referring to; after all, she had regular meet ups with the Avengers and was on eye roll terms with Nick Fury. She wanted to believe they were just interested in Tony Stark, but there was an edge to his voice that made his words more sinister and controversial then just queries about the resident billionaire. Yep, innocent seemed like the sensible way to approach this dude.

"Him. The only reason you're here, Miss Lewis." Then again, playing innocent was overrated, Darcy reconsidered, and she really didn't like the way he stressed the word 'Miss'.

She heard the words before she realized she'd thought them. "Oh, he's a great fuck. I'm surprised I can even stand up today." She gave a brief but loud moan as she crossed her legs.

The amount of gasps and shocked whispered she heard made it clear that everyone in the room was paying attention to her and Dickflap.

"What?" He choked out. Apparently Dickflap couldn't hear or was just oblivious.

"You know, after some really kinky and satisfying sex, girls can ache." Darcy furrowed her forehead in a look of fake concern. "But I guess you wouldn't know about that. You're dick's probably like a land mine; people want to avoid it because it's small and it explodes after one touch." She watched as his face went red, she just wasn't sure if it was with embarrassment or rage. She kind of hoped it was both. Darcy mouthed the word 'Boom!' at him before looking around at everyone else in the room; most people were laughing or smiling at her previous insult. A warm, smug feeling filled her chest. "So, anyone else got a question?"

No one moved.

"Good." Darcy's phony smile faded, and she finally let the anger show. "I'm here because I passed all the same requirements you did. Plus, I tasered a God of Thunder. I got the God of Lies to tell me the truth. I went one on one with Black Widow and lived to tell the tale." She was being dramatic, but it was working. "Oh, and just last month Ironman asked me to work for him as an inventor for Stark Industries." None of it was strictly a lie. Just a few half-truths, but there was no way she was telling these guys Tony was only interested in her cheese on toast maker idea, and Natasha was going super easy on her during a training session. "What the fuck have you all done to be here?" She finished her little speech, her pulse was racing and her eyes were dark as she stared Dickflap down. He didn't look as smooth or as calculated as before. Darcy – 1, Dickflap – 0.

"Yes, I think it would be a good idea for everyone to go around the room and introduce themselves and why they're here."

Fuck. Darcy tore her eyes away from the blonde jerk to see Agent Phil Coulson standing at the door, a tight smile on his face having probably heard all of what she just said. She died a little on the inside but didn't let it show; only throwing Phil one of her well known brilliant but cheeky smiles that didn't reach her eyes as a lame apology.

"Thank you, Agent Lewis, for going first."

It turned out Dickflap's name was Jamie and he was a First Sergeant in the United States Army before getting selected for the S.H.I.E.L.D training program. She had no idea what that meant but smiled politely like everyone else in the room. It wasn't long before everyone had stood up and introduced themselves, and Darcy was feeling incredibly under qualified despite her bragging earlier. Half these people were geniuses or just plain amazing in their respective fields. There was one guy who literally designed a rocket that he flew into the atmosphere before he was eleven and another woman who could memorize any number you put in front of her. It was impossible to hold up against them with her uncanny ability to say inappropriate things and be in the wrong place at the wrong time. By the end of the introduction session, Darcy was edging on the verge of tears and seriously calling into question if she could do this.

Agent Coulson must have noticed her shimmering eyes and how she kept biting her cheek to stop the tears from spilling over, because he asked very nicely if she could stay after dismissing the rest of the group so they could go to their next introductions with whatever department they were working for.

The door closed behind the last person and Darcy was still sitting stiffly in her chair at the back, looking at the ceiling in the vein hope it would dry her eyes. The lump in her throat was making it harder to breathe, and she hated looking weak in front of anyone, but thankful that it was Coulson. He reminded her of her dad sometimes, and it was moments like this, when her overconfident exterior was failing, that she needed her dad.

"Agent Lewis." Phil's voice was closer and in the corner of her eye she could see him lifting his suit trouser legs and settling into the chair in front of her. "Darcy." She felt something warm and soft touch her hand, looking down she saw it was his hand covering both of hers lightly.

"I can't do this." She whispered. She blinked and the first drop of moisture hit her cheek, her eyelashes heavier with the wetness. "I don't know what made me think I could, but I can't."

"Hey, don't let these people get you down. We handpicked you, Darcy. We know what you can do when you put your mind to it, and you'll be ten times better than anyone else in this room today." Darcy smiled weakly at his kind words. She wanted so hard to believe them. Wanted so much to see what they saw in her.

"Even you?"

"No one's as good as me." Phil patted her hands and moved his away. Darcy felt a bit better at his joke; she quickly wiped away the extra water in the corner of her eyelids and looked at him.

"Yeah, you're an original." She remembered, thinking back to the conversation she had with Agent Alex Something in the elevator that one time. The six agents who founded S.H.I.E.L.D, each top of their branches, and Coulson was a recruiter. "If you met me, before New Mexico, I mean, if you met me then," Darcy sniffed before continuing, "Would you have recruited me?"

Phil took a deep inhale of air and released it slowly, he was thinking of his answer very carefully and Darcy was scared to hear what he would say. She didn't know why she asked, she didn't know what difference it would make or which answer she wanted him to say, but she felt the need to ask none the less.

"Yes." Darcy nodded at his answer; she knew he was telling the truth. Lies were never as weighty as the truth. "But not for the same reason we did now." Unsure of what to make of that answer, Darcy just accepted it. "There's a lot you don't know about this organization's history. There's a lot that you need to ask and a lot that we won't tell."

Darcy did not like the sound of that. Warning bells were ringing in her head telling her to 'panic' and 'freak out'. But she just kept nodding. She wasn't sure if that was an invitation to start asking more questions or to keep her nose out of it. "Okay." She nodded. Darcy looked at the clock on one of the walls and saw it was nearly 3 p.m. She knew Phil was giving another introduction meeting with the other new recruits in a minute.

Phil glanced behind him to see what Darcy was focused on. "You better go."

Darcy thanked him as she stood up, giving him a quick and unexpected hug before leaving the room in a fast paced jog. She was very grateful to Phil, he had made her feel worlds better without treating her like the child she felt like today, in the back of a class room, upset and scared because of the big kids. She wondered if it that's why he was a recruiter? He really did remind her of her dad. The way he dressed, talked and could comfort her while motivating her all at the same time. She used to come home upset from school hundreds of times, other kids calling her weird or making fun of the way she randomly said whatever was on her mind, and he would be there, ready to listen and accept what she said before he somehow managed to lift her spirits and give her the strength to go back to class the next day with renewed purpose.

As Darcy shut the door behind her, she reminded herself to check her emails and see if her dad had replied yet. She knew he only checked his inbox every now and again, and like most parents her dad's age, he didn't have a phone that alerted him every time he got a new email; so it wasn't strange that he hadn't responded yet.

Xxxxxx

* * *

She didn't know what made her feet move in the direction they were going, but soon Darcy found herself in the private lift and going down to Level 18. It was ten security checks later, and she was standing in front of Loki when she finally realized why she had a sudden desire to see him.

He beamed brightly at her, his smile infectious, getting up from his computer chair to greet her at the glass.

"Darcy! It is a pleasure to see you." His green eyes shone in the artificial light, there was no sign of malice or cruelty that she saw all those weeks ago when they first met. She had formed an unlikely friendship with him, and he obviously saw something in her that she needed right now. He was like that old school friend that it was easy to talk with and joke around, no matter how much time had passed since they last spoke.

He also wasn't an agent. Darcy really wanted to speak to someone without a hidden agenda and oddly enough, she thought Loki was the best person for the job. If anything, he would be more inclined to be blunt and honest about S.H.I.E.L.D and their suspicious behavior.

"Hey Loki, s'up?" Darcy grabbed a chair from the corner of the room and dragged it over to where he was standing.

"I am very well, thank you. S.H.I.E.L.D is making my stay very enjoyable." Darcy perked an eyebrow up at his statement, looking at the glass cage with disbelief. He only gave a charmingly sad smile in return. "Much more enjoyable than what awaits me on Asgard." Darcy inhaled on realization. Now that Bruce, Erik and Jane had finished making the scepter to defeat those remaining Chitauri, all their focus now was aimed on utilizing the tesseract to send Thor and Loki home as the bi-frost was still in ruins. She frowned at the idea of Loki being sent away for some unknown punishment, and she might never see him again.

"You're helping them now." Darcy pointed a thumb to the door she entered through. "Surely you're more use to us here then there." She didn't want to say Asgard, fearing it might leave a bitter taste in her mouth. She liked Loki; she didn't want him to be sent to his death, even if he did kill like a hundred or more people. He also liked kittens dressed as puppies on the internet; so he couldn't be all bad.

"They have offered. I am beyond Odin's reach here, but I need to be responsible for my actions, Darcy."

"So you're choosing to go? When you could stay here and help them?"

"I need to be responsible for my actions." He repeated.

"That's bullshit." She waved her hand at him the crossed her arms defiantly over her chest. "You're just scared." Her words weren't mean; she just wanted him to know she didn't believe his lies.

Loki stood over her from inside his glass cage. Darcy was impressed with his ability to loom even behind a barrier. "Pray tell, Darcy, what am I scared of?"

"I dunno, acceptance?"

Loki laughed.

"Darcy, I know I am accepted here. That's why I must be reprimanded so I can accept their offer without any... What's the word you use, baggage?"

Darcy pursed her lips. That made sense. She was glad he was looking for redemption before officially joining the team. She felt a wave of pride and glee at the prospect of Loki being an Avenger. She nodded at his reasoning, feeling more respect for his decision.

"How's your day been?" She asked, hoping it would lead to him asking the same thing.

"Very well, thank you. Fury came by earlier. We are working on prototype of a food storage system that we have on Asgard. He says if Midgard has the basic technology to replicate it then we could be on the way to solving some hunger crisis?" Loki seemed pleased, although not fully certain with his explanation and Darcy was stunned at how wide and far his knowledge extended to. Thor never seemed to know anything about Asgardian technology, only that they had it and it was often out of sight, but evidently not out of Loki's mind.

"Wow! That's amazing!" Darcy couldn't express the implications of what Loki had told her and how beneficial it would be for the whole world. "How does it work?"

Loki moved to get his computer chair that he was previously sitting on and wheel it over to sit in front of her, his legs looking crazy long sprawled out in front of him. "It speeds up and then prolongs the life of fresh food. Corn, fruit, potatoes, they all apparently take longer to grow naturally here and rot at various rates. This device is held in the kitchens of Asgard, once the food is planted there, it provides the optimum environment for it to thrive in. Then, when it is ripe, the chamber holds in a stasis until it is needed, then replaced."

It sounded like something she saw in a sci-fi movie. It was fascinating and must be completely magical. Darcy didn't realize that she was leaning closer to him until she almost hit her head on the thick glass. She sat back, waiting for him to continue.

"That's fascinating. How do you know about this?" How did a Prince belittle himself to find out about the devices that prepared his food, it seemed odd to her.

"Unlike my brother, I was curious and wondered the kingdom freely, like you; I found these things most intriguing and learned more." He swallowed and Darcy watched as his Adam's apple bobbed up then down. "I was going to be a King who understood every part of his land. Not just what was on the surface." She saw his eye flicker to his hand and how it was clenched into a fist. He obviously was thinking of something much deeper then came out of it, shaking his hand as his fingers relaxed. That smile from before returned. "And how was your day, Darcy? I have a feeling that's what you came here to talk about."

She sighed. She knew there were cameras and microphones surrounding them, but she no longer cared. Actually, screw S.H.I.E.L.D; if they were hiding something for her, then she wanted them to know that she knew. "I think there's something happening beneath the surface here. There have been a few things said to me in passing, a few things that don't feel right." Loki looked intrigued. "About me." She clarified.

"Interesting." Loki sat back in the chair, his legs crossing in front of him and resting on the glass. His hand was by his mouth, his index finger running along his upper lip as if in contemplation, but Darcy knew he was just hiding a smirk. He knew as well. The fucker! She felt anger bubble up inside her. Did everyone know except her? She pushed the anger down and tried to keep calm, a worried look placed firmly on her face as she continued, acting none the wiser of Loki's knowledge. "Yes, that is rather curious, go on." He prompted her.

"Yeah, since day one, they seem to think I know more than I do. They're treating me differently, letting me cross lines other people wouldn't dream of. Like if they said anything, then I'd blow up in their faces, you know?"

Loki laughed, "Trust me, I know that feeling." Darcy watched as Loki lifted the hand by his mouth away, and held it out towards her. It slowly shifted into a deep blue color before returning to its usual pale shade as if nothing had changed. She guessed he wasn't being just sympathetic. "Are you sure it's not just because of your involvement with the Avengers?"

Darcy shook her head. "No, they don't treat Erik any differently, and he was there when Thor fell as well."

One of Loki's eyebrows rose up, painting a perfect picture of amusement and curiosity mixed into one. "Maybe it's because of your involvement with a certain other Avenger?"

The rat bastard! He knew about her and Clint! How? She wasn't sure if they were still a secret or not, after all, everyone in the Avengers knew, but they had decided to still hide it from Coulson and Fury at the dinner for some reason. Natasha wouldn't tell her about. She smirked back at him, she liked the fact people knew Clint was hers. It made her feel both proud and possessive that people knew he was hers and vice versa.

"No, they were asking me weird stuff before I started fucking Hawkeye." She announced. She knew it was crass, but she could almost imagine the look on Fury's face when he would undoubtedly review this footage later.

"Maybe it has something to do with you before you were aware of S.H.I.E.L.D." Loki volunteered although, she got the feeling he was guiding the conversation. She silently thanked him, wondering if he was a God, then would he hear her if she prayed to him? She'd have to test that theory sometime.

"Like what? My petty trespassing when I was a teenager? My old eyebrow piercing. I doubt it." She snorted. She didn't feel as confident anymore, but there was no way she wanted to cameras to pick up on it. "My past is below average at best."

"I seriously doubt that." Loki had that deep British sounding tone again, it made her both fear and adore him at the same time.

Her past. That's why they treated her with so much trepidation. That's why they wanted her to become an agent? Darcy's eyebrows pinched together as she thought this new information over. What about her past? She took a long slow breath in; she couldn't let them know she'd nearly figured it out. Darcy played her best poker face and whined at Loki.

"Come on then God of Lies; make something up for me then!" She waved her hands helplessly in front of her. "Why do they want me? Why were they looking into my 'skills' before I even stepped foot in this building?" That should be enough to make Fury believe she was still clueless while she had time to run through her history, looking for S.H.I.E.L.D shaped memories, although her mind was already drawing a blank.

"Darcy, I cannot do that."

Lame. She stuck her tongue out at him, it was childish, but she felt better. "Some God of Trickery you are." She grumbled at him.

"Oh, don't mistake my hesitation for incompetence. I simply do not wish to lie for anyone else anymore, but there is defiantly trickery taking place against you."

"But you're not prepared to give me anymore information?" She smirked. "Because you want to get in Fury's good books? That's kind of hilarious." Darcy admitted. "Does he braid your hair while you watch Dawson's Creek re-runs?" The mental image was enough to make Darcy laugh loudly.

Loki tilted his head to the side, oblivious to her references and why it caused such a random outburst of hilarity. "I need to evaluate my place in this world. I wouldn't want to jeopardize any potential allies by helping you fulfil your personal mission." He said calmly after Darcy's breathing slowed and she wiped the tears from the corner of her eyes. She wondered if it was weird that she can make herself laugh so hard that her stomach muscles hurt.

"Cool cool, I totally get that." She relaxed in her chair and looked around.

Loki's prison was how she remembered it. Very clean and tidy. Everything in its right place, in his studious but comfortable cage. It almost made her sad at how neat he kept everything; it showed how content he was to be trapped by them.

"Do they ever let you out? I mean, not outside, that would be mental. But can you go to the bathroom or anything?"

"I have more freedom now that I am cooperating, but less than if I was not." He gave her that evil smirk she remembered; only the humorous glint in his eyes told her that he was just messing with her.

"So you could, like, magic yourself out of here if you wanted?" Loki nodded. "Why don't you then?" Darcy asked before realizing her faux par.

Loki chuckled at her and her wide embarrassed eyes. "Who then, Darcy, would I look at obscure unsystematic pictures of animals online with?"

"You're too kind!" Darcy bashfully hid behind her hand that she was holding to her face like a fan from old fashion movies. "You really like cute animals, don't you? Maybe I'll get you one for your birthday. It would keep you good company in your box." She did her best stern dad face and looked pointedly at him. "Although, you would have to be the one that has to feed it and clean up after it."

"You sound like Odin. Those were his exact words after he gave me a young creature on Asgard for my Coronation. It was such an ugly little thing, it looked similar to a wolf on Midgard, but not as furry, I feel in love instantly. He taught me many lessons as a boy that I shall never forget."

Darcy liked seeing this softer side of Loki, don't get her wrong, she was still intimidated as fuck around him, like if she said the wrong thing, he would freak out like before and start yelling. But now, she felt like he was trying to be less scary then his general demeanour usually was. "What did you call him?"

"Fenris." Darcy couldn't help the smile that formed over her close lips as Loki's eyes glazed over like Thor's did whenever they thought of home on Asgard. That cemented it. Darcy was getting Loki a pet!

"So you like puppies?" She asked, hoping it was sly enough so the trickster didn't catch her underlining intentions.

Loki tapped his upper lip again with his finger, this time in actual thought and not covering a smirk. "I find myself overly fond of kittens actually." Score! Darcy loved cats, she was getting excited at the idea of surprising him with one now, and then she could visit and play with it as much as she liked without all the responsibility. "I feel they would make good allies." She did a mental fist pump, now where would she buy a cat? She began to wonder.

"True. Wanna play a game?"

"I am in a gaming mood, yes." They sat there for a moment, just looking at each other, waiting for the other to move.

Darcy exhaled and held her arms up. "So, do you have any games in that fish tank?" She tapped on the glass, and then gestured to herself. "I didn't bring anything with me, you dumbass."

Loki instantly stood up and walked to the book shelf, looking flustered at his foolishness, before grabbing a chess board and bringing it back to where Darcy was. Carefully placing it on the floor with a grace she could never dream of possessing, not a single piece moved from its position as he set it down on the floor. Darcy rolled her eyes and pushed the chair back. Trust him to pick game she didn't really understand so always sucked at.

"This is going to kill my knees." She muttered as she tried to get comfy on the hard ground.

"I will request a table, for next time, if you like?" Loki offered.

"How about you request table and chairs out here that we could both sit at? You're beginning to look like a weird art piece my old college friend took me to see."

"It's safer in here, trust me." She wasn't sure if he meant it was safer for her or for him. She dreaded to think about whatever it was that made Loki so scared he went into hiding. And what that meant for the rest of them.

Xxxxxx

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Thanks for reading and please take a moment to review. They are one of the only rewards a writer can get.

Until next time.

Charlie


	18. Chapter 18

Breathe

Xxxxxx

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Raynebow – I completely agree with the whole 'too poetic and caught in detailed storytelling' fics that are out there, I mean they're great to read, don't get me wrong, but sometimes you just want good ol' fashioned stories without having to Google certain words to understand the meaning, lol. So thank you for reassuring me that not all stories have to be like that to be considered 'well written'. You actually blew away a lot of my insecurities with that comment, so thank you.

Bday girl – Wow! I hope you had a great birthday, I'm glad my new chapter helped make your day more awesome!

Lenetra – Thank you for another wonder review. It won't be long until the poop hits the fan I'm afraid :-( Thanks for your sweet and completely accurate definition on Loki and Darcy's friendship, it's so true and I love writing them together so thanks again!

Belanna – Loving the image of Loki playing with a kitten. I will now Google that until I find a picture! Thanks for all your reviews, it's so nice when people go back and review older chapters, it makes me smile to see how people react to each chapter as the story progresses! So thank you and I hope you enjoy the next one!

Risalyn – I hope you're right too. Otherwise my foreshadowing is terrible! Lol. Thanks for reviewing, your comment on Darcy's snark made me laugh. Yay for snarky Darcy!

Guest – Sorry! No one ever really commented on the whole 'responding to each review' thing before. I didn't think it was that annoying, plus I never knew how easy they make it to PM reviews. I will do that from now on and only response to people who didn't login so I have no way of PMing them. Thanks for the head up and I hope this chapter makes up for all those times you must have rolled your eyes as you scrolled past at my over-sentimental comments.

Xxxxxx

Wow, I am so overwhelmed by the response I got from the last chapter and all your supportive comments. I've been really struggling to find time to get the next few chapters up, with my new job, new boyfriend (well, old boyfriend that I just got back together with), it's been a crazy busy few week and it was all your brilliant support that helped me push through that writers block and lack of time to really make this the best it can be. So thank you all! And I hope you enjoy this chapter, you're all totally awesome and this is the only way I can think to express my gratitude.

For me Beta, Sandra, the day we meet in real life is the day Jeremy Renner and Tom Hiddleston suddenly lose their clothes from our sheer combined power of will ;-) The last seven chapters, this one included, are solely and completely for you. Thank you.

Xxxxxx

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Chapter 18

"Darcy!" She heard Jane call out before seeing her, dropping her notebook and iPod on the small table by the door, along with her key card.

"Hey." Darcy looked around and found Jane in the kitchen. She had a huge smile on her face and was pouring some cereal into a bowl, spoon held to the side of Jane's mouth, ready for action, like it was a normal occurrence. Did that girl ever eat anything that wasn't breakfast food?

"We need to talk, missy!" Jane joked and walked over to the sofa, her words completely unaffected by the metal object pressed in the inside of her cheek. Darcy let out an over exaggerated groan and followed her.

"C'mon! I just had a super long day. Can I at least take off my shoes before you start lecturing me?" Darcy said, half serious as she plopped down on the soft cushions and kicked off her shoes one at a time, they landed on the floor with a satisfying thud.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Jane asked after a long pause, taking the spoon out of her mouth and holding it in her tiny hands.

It didn't take a genius to figure out what she was talking about. Darcy rubbed her forehead with her hand, trying to smooth out the wrinkles before answering. "For a thousand different reasons." Darcy could feel her shoulders sag, and she blew out a long exhale of air. "You and Thor just got back together, so I rarely saw you outside of the lab. Plus, fraternization is against policy, and I didn't actually think he'd…" Darcy swallowed, pushing the lump in her throat down. "I didn't think he'd actually want me like... as his public girlfriend?" She winced at her own words. "I guess I didn't want to tell you, because if he ended it, then I wouldn't have to talk about it. I could just pretend it never happened." She admitted, avoiding Jane's eyes, which Darcy knew would be wide with sympathy and comfort. Something Darcy didn't ever find comforting.

Jane's expression softened as she placed her untouched cereal bowl on the coffee table and scooted closer to Darcy on the sofa. "Oh, Darce. That was never going to happen. Clint really likes you."

"I know. I know that now, but before? I'm just some silly college dropout who randomly found herself here. Why would he be interested in me when he's surrounded by super-hot sexy spies all day?" She laughed bitterly to herself, she'd seen the stick thin gorgeous woman that walk around the hallways in skin tight clothes that left nothing to the imagination. Darcy still didn't think she could compete with them. "Anyway, that doesn't matter. We're good now. I actually should start getting ready; he's taking me on a date this evening." Darcy beamed at the older woman, all her fears and confidence issues vanishing at the thought of Clint waiting for her.

Jane noticed the instant change and recognized the look in her eyes. "You love him."

"What?" Darcy didn't think it was possible to stutter on one simple word until now. "No!" She snorted. Was she really that obvious? Oh god, that was mortifying! What if Clint could see how smitten she was and she knew he didn't feel the same way, or at least, not yet. Jane went months without really asking or caring about Darcy's personal life, why did she have to butt her nose in now when Darcy's feelings were still new and scary. Jane would try and do something to 'help' their relationship and might end up blabbing about Darcy's feelings. She loved that Jane is becoming more like the big sister Darcy always wanted, but not with this!

"Oh my god! You totally do! You love him." Jane pointed at her, bobbing up and down of the sofa in excitement.

"Okay, maybe. I don't know. I've never felt like this before. Except for Milo Ventimiglia after the first season of Heroes, but no, that was totally different." Darcy rambled, this was the first time she said it out loud, and it finally felt real. She couldn't ignore the pounding in her chest or the way her face and hands heated every time she thought about it. "Yeah, I think I love him." It didn't feel wrong to say, she thought maybe some doubt would creep in once she said the words, but it didn't. It just felt normal.

Jane sympathized with the younger girl. "Are you going to tell him?" Jane asked, her eyes had that dreamy look in them that reminded Darcy of that Disney Princess when they're thinking about true love or a Prince. Totally wide eyed and idealistic. Darcy snorted to herself. Clint was certainly no Prince Charming; she'd heard him swear enough mid-orgasm and been on both sides of his mood swings to know he's anything but.

Darcy bit her lip at the idea. "No," She decided after a moment. "I think I've known it for a while, but then so much stuff happened. I don't think he feels the same way, so I'll wait."

"He'll know soon enough." Jane was right, he'd soon figure out if he loved her or not. She just hoped once he realized he couldn't love her after the whole 'running away when he was dying' thing, that he would just end it and not string her along as she falls more and more in love with him. Then again, even if he didn't feel the same, at least she would have some part of him. Was it selfish to continue a relationship and pretend everything was okay when only one person was committed? Using him for sex as a way of expressing her unreciprocated love… Darcy decided it was, she just didn't know who it would hurt more. She shook her head, trying to banish those bad thoughts but the insecurity had already dampened her spirits.

"Yeah." Darcy tried to sound hopeful as she smiled at Jane. "How are you and Thor?" Darcy was awesome at changing the subject, as proven by Jane as she easily took the bait and answered the question.

"We're great. You can probably tell he spends most of his time here; he hates the room they gave him. He doesn't like being stuck indoors and underground."

"Tell me about it!" Darcy agreed a little too passionately. Darcy had to be incredibly strict with her sleeping pattern, and her watch had become her new best friend recently. It was hard to tell when it was or how much time was passing when there were no windows to the outside world. It was hell to begin with, thinking it was always way earlier or later than it really was, but she'd gotten used to it now. As long as she didn't have any naps in the middle of the day, then her body clock was ticking along fine.

"But he likes helping people; he's off on a mission now, a bomb scare in Washington or something." Jane crossed her arms over her chest, a defensive gesture that told Darcy she wasn't overly happy about Thor flying off around the country as much as she was about Clint doing the same.

"It totally sucks that they leave at the drop of a hat, like 'no worries, see you later', and we're left here like lemons, not knowing if they're okay or not."

At least Thor was a God and practically impossible to kill. He managed to walk off a knife wound in 10 minutes according to the reports from the big Chitauri battle in New York City. Clint, on the other hand, was fragile; he was better from a distance, looking down on the battle and picking people off one by one. She hated the idea of him in the main action of a fight, his arrows useless against a knife or a gun. What kind of idiot brought a bow and arrow to a fight anyway? She thought back to an evening a few weeks ago when she'd made fun of him for that, then proceeded to tease him by calling him names like Cupid and Katniss Everdeen. He wasn't happy, and she had somehow ended up being sat on as he tickled her until she apologized, and she had to admit that he was the best Avenger. His ego was pleased with her after that…

Never! She remembered crying out as his hands found their way under her shirt, and she raked her nails over his chest in a vain attempt to stop him. Sex on his floor had caused her back to be deliciously stiff the next day as she was working in the lab with Jane. She smiled at the memory of Clint grunting and freezing his hips in place between her legs as he released his seed into the condom inside of her. His butt clenching in a way she just loved! His weight comforting and just the right amount of pressure as he lay half on top of her afterwards. She stroked his hair and nipped on his ear as she said sorry for calling him those names. He responded enthusiastically at her words and soon they were panting on his bed, tangled up in the sheets that were damp with their sweat.

Darcy had never had this much sex in her life, and she was finding herself as addicted to it as she was to Clint. It was a scary thought that she was so dependent on making him happy, though she just brushed it off.

"Who'd have thought seven months ago that we'd be here?" Jane's voice brought her back to the room. Darcy crossed her legs in the chair in an attempt to dull the throbbing in between her thighs.

"It makes you wonder where we'll be in seven months from now." Darcy said out loud, not sure where the idea had come from. "Anyways, I best go get ready." She stood and picked up her discarded shoes. "Wouldn't want to keep Hawkeye waiting!" With a quick wink and a one armed hug, Darcy headed to her room to strip out of her day clothes and went in search for something sexy yet sensible to wear tonight.

She smiled as she found her little black wrap dress and had a wicked idea. Perfect, she smirked to herself. If he didn't love her by the end of tonight, then he never would.

Xxxxxx

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She opened the door and wasn't surprised to find Clint standing on the other side. He was wearing a pair of black designer jeans and a white wife-beater with a dinner jacket over the top to dress the outfit up. She felt her cheeks instantly get heated at the ideas the tight white top brought to the forefront of her mind. Darcy quickly shut the door behind her, before Jane, who was inside the living area, could say anything. It felt oddly like high school and hiding her boyfriend from her dad when he came to pick her up in his shit car, the stink of smoke from the young man not quite covered up by the copious amounts of deodorant he'd obviously sprayed before coming out. No, Clint was nothing like those kinds of guys, but she still felt the need to protect him from Jane's probing questions and glares. Honestly, Jane's mean face was ridiculous; she looked like a kitten that just had its first bath or something. There was nothing scary about it, but Darcy still didn't want anyone else to witness that pathetic scene.

She stood on her tip toes and briefly pressed her freshly glossed lips against his.

"Hi."

"Hey." He said, his warm breath washing over her face. Darcy smirked as she brushed her thumb across his upper lip, removing the small amount of lip gloss that had transferred to his mouth. It was just like before, she hummed to herself. "Ready to go?" He offered his arm like a true gentleman, which she gratefully took.

"Yep." Maybe he is a Prince after all, Darcy pondered as they walked toward the elevator.

"I've had a rough fucking day." Then again, maybe not. Darcy burst out laughing at him that caused Clint to raise a wary eyebrow and frown at her unconventional response to his suffering. Darcy wondered why he put up with her but decided dubiously that it was probably mainly for the sex and her terrible cooking.

"Sorry, just my internal monologue was thinking one thing, and then you said that, which was totally different, and it just made me laugh." Darcy tried to explain, knowing that she wasn't making much sense.

"What were you thinking?" Clint asked, amused and curious at what crazy random things happened inside her head.

"Err…" She stuttered, not sure if she should admit it or not. "Just that you are kind of a handsome Prince. Anyway-" She blushed and decided to play it safe, quickly change the subject. She'd probably stroked his ego enough with her previous comment to make him feel better already. "Why was your day so shitty?" She brushed his arm in a small sign of comfort; he probably couldn't feel it through his jacket, but she liked the sensation of caressing the textured fabric under her fingertips.

"I had this asshole new recruit in my introduction class today." It didn't take much to figure out who he was talking about.

"Let me guess, was his name Jamie?"

"Yeah, how did you know?" They waited for the elevator doors to fully slide open before stepping in and Darcy answered.

"I had the pleasure of meeting him earlier. I've already nicknamed him Dickflap." Darcy said, her tone almost bored. She hated that Draco Malfoy wannabe, but she didn't want to look too bitter in front of her boyfriend, who happened to be training said Dickflap in case he took the rough and tumble aspect of their next training session too far and paralyzed Jamie or something. Actually, thinking about it, that might be a good idea, Darcy thought as she bit her top lip in contemplation before shaking her head out of it. "What'd he do to ruffle your feathers, Mr Hawkeye?" She was proud of her joke.

Clint just rolled his eyes at the familiar pun and let out a frustrated groan. "Ah, he just wanted to prove how good he was in front of everyone, even challenged me at one point. Idiot."

Darcy smiled as she felt his forearms clench underneath her hand. "I hope you put him in his place."

"Sure did." Clint leaned down and gave her a swift kiss as the elevator halted, and they stepped out. "He won't be trying anything funny next time." Darcy laughed lightly at the idea of Jamie getting his ass handed to him on a plate by her boyfriend.

"What'd you do?" She asked excitedly as they bypassed the security people on the ground floor and walked outside into the warm evening air. It was still semi-light outside, and Darcy could see the sky for miles in the distance.

"Well, I just told them all about the initiation traditions we have here, and then gave everyone a demonstration of various weapons technology S.H.I.E.L.D had developed." Clint answered innocently, Darcy looked up at him, her expression clear that he wasn't telling the whole truth, and she knew it. "Including some of my personal favorite arrows." Oh, Darcy knew which ones he meant. She might have once been on the receiving end of said arrow…

"Hey! That reminds me, I still need to punish you for that whole elevator bola arrow trick you pulled on me." Darcy let go of his arm and crossed hers.

"Oh, you could never punish me. I saved your life." Clint tried to uncross her arms with his hands in vain, but she wouldn't budge and only held them closer to her chest.

"Nope." Darcy tilted her chin up like a child having a tantrum and tried to mask the smile on her face. "I could have died!"

Clint laughed, his hands giving up on their attempt and resting on her shoulders lightly. "Darcy, I never would have left you there unless I knew you would be waiting for me to come back. Safe and sound." His smirk hovered over her lips and stole a quick kiss that she was too weak to fight off.

She narrowed her eyes. There was almost a hint of earnestness in there. Almost. "Ass." Darcy muttered before lowering her arms to her side. She looked around, hoping to see some form of transportation to take them to wherever Clint's idea of a first date would be but she found none. Only the warm breeze and empty area surrounded them. "Where are we going?"

"Patience is a virtue, you know?"

Darcy scowled at him. As much as she loved him, he could still be a bit of a jerk sometimes, but she knew how to get her own back when he was rude. "Oh, I only asked because it's a bit breezy out here, and I'm not wearing any underwear." She let her voice drop and become husky as she said the last part. She watched Clint like a hawk as his eyes widened at her words, a guttural noise rumbled in his throat as his eyes narrowed and tracked down to the hem of her dress, imagining what was underneath. Darcy laughed out loud at his overly masculine and predictable behavior.

"You little minx." He growled and tried to ensnare her waist in his arms. Darcy spun around in a way Natasha had taught her and ran down the road that formed the entrance to S.H.I.E.L.D's undercover headquarters. Their laughter must be confusing the security guard that Darcy knew was just inside the building, but she didn't care as her feet strayed from the road onto the surrounding grass. She could tell Clint wasn't really trying as she managed to escape his capture for about a minute, before he successfully wrapped his arms around her and spinning them both around. Darcy couldn't breathe through the laughter, and Clint finally crumpled on his back to the ground, Darcy lying on top of him, her back to his chest.

She twisted in his arms so she was facing him and planted a soft kiss on the tip of his nose, followed by a tap of her finger. "Naughty." She murmured but couldn't stop the huge grin that pulled her lips. She felt his strong hands guide up her back and into her hair and sighed. She didn't know why, but he really seemed to really like it when she bopped his nose. She liked his nose; it was strong and had a history. It wasn't perfect or pretty, and she loved that about it, although his nose wasn't on her Top 5 list of 'Favorite Barton Body Parts', it was certainly close. He used his grip to push her head down and meet his lips in a fierce and firm kiss.

His jacket had splayed out on the grass beneath them and Darcy used her hands to support her weight on the soft lining of the fabric. She knew there were security cameras everywhere monitoring any activity around the building, which probably included where they were, so Darcy made sure to keep her legs firmly held together between Clint's just in case. She didn't want to give whoever monitored the cameras a free show.

She pulled back, going against her body's instinct to just grind up against him right there like a horny teenager. His grip in her hair was slowly released, which she was thankful for, if they continued, she wasn't sure how far she would go, and she really didn't want to get pulled into Fury's office because of 'acts of indecent behaviour' or something. She could tell her lips were puffy as her chest heaved against his.

"Wow." She breathed, unable to form more eloquent words.

"Yeah, wow." He stroked the side of her face, pushing back her loose hair that was cascading down between them like a water fountain.

Darcy shifted and began to get off of him when he groaned, she worried she'd hurt him for a moment but calmed when his hands found their way to her hips, trying to hold her in place. She smirked and lightly batted at his chest.

"C'mon, we'll be late! Where ever we're going." She tried to side with better judgment, knowing that they couldn't continue here, but he wasn't making it easy. He rested his head on the soft ground and gave another glorious moan that went straight to Darcy's lower belly. Oh Lord, he was sexy. Darcy didn't think it was possible for someone to have such an incredibly sexy neck, but Clint managed it. All flexed tendons and hard muscle. She placed her hands firmly on his chest and pushed herself up.

"C'mon Agent Barton." That always got his attention. Bad soldier boy! She thought to herself as she reached down and tugged at his hands, but he continued to lie on the floor in defeat for a moment longer. "Please, I wanna know where you're taking me! Stop being a baby!" She tugged one last time before his resolve vanished, and he begrudgingly stood up.

"Fine." He muttered, brushing the wrinkles out of his clothes. "But we're not going to be late." He swooped down and gave her a quick but stubborn kiss before taking her hand in his and leading her further across the grass fields that surrounded the base.

Darcy couldn't help but roll her eyes as they strolled past various sized and colored 'Keep Off The Grass' signs. He was _such_ a rebel; she thought sarcastically, a contradiction to the wide smile on her face.

"Are we walking there?" Darcy asked, shocked at the prospect. She looked down at her feet, somewhat obscured by the slightly overgrown grass. What if there were mines and stuff hidden under them? She wouldn't put it past S.H.I.E.L.D.

"It's not far." He promised, not even bothering to give her a clear answer.

Darcy took a big step forward, her legs were shorter than his, and held onto his arm with her other hand. She didn't want to stray too far just in case.

"Are there, like, hidden bombs and shit around here?" Clint chuckled at her quizzical expression.

"No. And if there were, I'm an expert at bomb defusing." He replied with a wink.

Darcy's mouth twisted to the side. "Liar." She said before she stuck her tongue out at him again.

"You always do that." Clint said randomly.

"Do what?" Darcy asked, distractedly, as she kept her eyes on the uneven ground, not wanting to trip up in her heels. She snaked her hands around Clint's ridiculously strong forearm for support, her fingers mimicking his arm guards.

"Call my bluff. No one else knows I'm joking when I say things like that, even Tony, and he's read my file." Darcy frowned to herself. What was he getting at? Had she done something wrong? "It's refreshing. You know when I'm lying; you know when I'm teasing. Has anyone told you how good at reading people you are?"

Darcy took a moment to think over his question. "Not that I remember." She kept her eyes focused on her walking feet. "Is that a good or a bad thing? Reading people." She clarified.

"Oh, it's good. Very good." She got the familiar feeling of him lying to her again but this time decided not to call him on it.

It only took a minute before their destination came into view. It was a gazebo type structure with a wooden table and chairs set up in the middle. Darcy smiled and paused mid step.

"Clint, this is beautiful." It was getting darker quickly, but there were those lamps that were also heaters, Darcy didn't know what they were called, set up around the gazebo, giving it a warm glow. She looked around and could see every star in the sky, not a single cloud obscuring the view. She thought that Clint might have had something to do with that as well, but it was a silly notion that she promptly dismissed.

"Let's sit down." He whispered as he began to head towards the table. Darcy threw her head back and laughed lightly towards the stars at how perfect this all was. How did she get so lucky to win such an amazing man?

Clint held out a chair for her to sit on, and she thanked him politely, feeling like a real lady. She looked down at the neatly arranged plates and cutlery; there was even a bucket of ice and a bottle of white wine chilling across from her. Clint noticed her line of sight and picked up the bottle, uncorked it and poured them both full glasses. "Fuck balls! How did you manage to set this all up?"

Clint broke out into that amazingly cheeky and charming smile that made him look 10 years younger, Darcy could feel her legs turn to jelly as his green eyes looked directly at her across the small table, this was very intimate and Darcy was suddenly worried that it was too soon, that they were going to hurt each other again. She was thankful she was sitting down.

"Dickflap and fuck balls?" Darcy felt mortified for a second; trust her to ruin a romantic dinner with her inability to shut her potty mouth. Clint didn't seem to mind it though, he reached over and grabbed her hand in his, she wondered why he was so invested in touching her tonight, like she would drift away in the breeze if he didn't hold her hand or stroke her hair. It was reassurance, she told herself. They only just got each other back, and he wasn't prepared to lose her again. "Jesus, Darce, I love your dirty mouth."

Darcy couldn't hold back a smirk and all her insecurities about their relationship fluttered away with her breath. One of her eyebrows had quirked up at his statement, a wicked idea forming already. "I bet you do." She teased, using her free hand to pick up their entwined fingers and brush a soft kiss on the back of his hand, and then started sucking a knuckle between her lips. Her eyes never left his, she always thought she'd look evil staring up at a guy like that, but whenever she went down on a man he seemed to love the eye contact. She knew he'd be reminded of the previous times she'd stared him down like this. She gave a mental fist pump as she watched his eyes close briefly and shift in his seat. It was intense, and Darcy knew she shouldn't be doing it, but that didn't stop her from sullying the incredibly romantic evening with her brashness. Sometimes she wished she was more shy and controlled like Jane; Jane would never offend anyone or spoil a date like she did. But then again, Jane would never get this reaction from the usually well-controlled Agent Barton, who currently looked strained and desperate, his green eyes dark and hooded with lust and his other hand gripping the edge of the table like it was his only lifeline. No, Darcy was glad she was impulsive and shameless as she caught his index finger in her mouth and sucked hard against the tip, running her wet tongue across the rough pad where his fingerprint was before taking the whole digit into her mouth.

"Darce." Clint half moaned, she smiled into his hand as he tried to regain some composure. "Darcy." She stopped licking his finger and slowly lowered their hands. He sounded serious. Fuck, she took her teasing too far. She didn't know why, but all of a sudden she felt very young in front of him. Their fifteen year age gap abruptly felt real.

"Yeah?" She hoped the quiver in her voice wasn't noticeable as her confidence fell.

"Darcy. There are some things I've needed to tell you for a while now." Oh god! She felt her breathing getting quicker and shallow. She was dreading anything that was about to come out of his mouth. How had she gone from giving his hand a blowjob to this? This was just like getting fired at her little cafe job during her first year of college, except without the sexiness from before, but the shame and incoming doom feeling was the same. Only, at least then, she knew what they were about to say back then. Darcy felt her eyes go wide and wanted to pull back her hand from his, but he held it firm, was that a good sign or a bad one? After all, she'd thought he was breaking up with her once before and she'd been wrong, she tried to convince herself it was fine, that she was just overreacting. Then again, she'd seen enough crappy soap operas to know the usual lines that follow, but none of them really applied. He definitely wasn't gay. Or married, and there was no way he could be pregnant. Maybe he was dying! Shit, she knew there was a reason he didn't want her to touch his abdomen last night in the limo, he was still hurt from the attack! No, if that were true than S.H.I.E.L.D would not let him out of the hospital level, let alone running around outside the base with her or The Avengers last night.

"Darcy, you need to breathe." He told her softly. She didn't even know she was holding her breath; she took a deep inhale of the crisp evening air that burned her lungs.

"Are you breaking up with me?" She managed to ask after a weighty gap in conversation. Her voice sounded weak, weaker than she wanted it to. She tried to sit up a little straighter, squaring her shoulders and jutting her jaw out, pulling her hand out of his grasp, which he was fine to let go of now. She was getting defensive, but she couldn't think of another way to protect herself.

"No! God no, Darcy. This is about my past. I never want to let you go, not after I just got you back. Why would you think I wanted-" He paused and shifted uncomfortably in his seat and Darcy noticed how he pulled his hands close to his chest and rubbed one of the brutal scars on his wrists. She gasped softly as she realised what he was about to tell her.

"Clint, you don't have to-"

"No." He cut her off. "I need to tell you this first. You need to understand everything before…" He picked up on her fleeting glance to his hands and dropped them to his lap like they were lead.

"Clint, I don't care about-" She was scared. She didn't want to know about his past, it felt dark and painful, things she hated to think about that involved him. Whatever it was, was over now. They should just think about them now, rather than have painful histories weighing them down. She knew how much it upset and freaked her out when he got hurt the other day, learning about more people that had hurt him would only break her heart more.

"Darcy, please." He interrupted her again. She pursed her lips together, biting down on them so she wouldn't talk. Her expression was as desperate as his, only she was begging him to not tell her, and he was begging her to let him.

"Alright." She whispered, finally giving in. Whatever he needed to tell her must be important. She couldn't deny him that. She took a huge gulp of wine, preparing herself for the worst. Alcohol on a very empty stomach was a bad idea; she'd only eaten half an apple today, but she needed the courage that it brought.

"Alright," He sighed, echoing her, relieved Darcy was letting him speak but not knowing where exactly to begin. "I really like you. I mean you're weird and funny and gorgeous and just the most amazing person I've ever met." He was rambling. Darcy had never seen him so anxious before, and if it were anything else they were talking about, than she would have found it adorable. "I really want this to work, so I have to tell you everything." His arms were tense, and he was studying her face so closely that she had to drop her gaze to the empty plate in front of her. The smooth surface of the white plate did nothing to calm her nerves. "Then you can make an informed decision if you want to continue this, with me." He motioned his hands back and forth between them, like she didn't know what 'this, with him' was.

Darcy wanted to cry out that she would never leave him, that she loved him and that nothing was going to change how she felt. But her voice was silenced in her throat by his desperate, pleading eyes.

"I joined S.H.I.E.L.D when I was twenty two. My parents died in a car crash when I was very young, my brother was younger. He didn't remember but I…" He cleared his throat; the memories obviously still had an effect on him. "So me and my brother lived in an orphanage for a few years until he was taken in by a good family, they couldn't support both of us, but he was younger so they could do more for him then me. So, I ran away to the travelling circus." Darcy's head was spinning, she understood the loss of a parent, but she couldn't take in all this information, he was going through his history so fast that it was overloading her emotions. Sympathy, love, hurt, regret... She looked up from the table and all the stress she felt evaporated when she saw Clint. He looked like a sad lost child, almost like he was reliving the memory right there. "I was trained by the people there, they took me in as one of their own and soon I had an act in their show. I sent all the money I made back to Barney, my brother. Then one day, about ten years later, a S.H.I.E.L.D agent found me, he wasn't a recruiter, but I guess he saw something special about me. He offered me a chance, and I took it." Darcy felt tears build up in her eyes and took another sip from her wine glass, trying to hold them back. Of course they saw something special! He was amazing at what he did. "I was a sniper for years with S.H.I.E.L.D, but I worked with various agencies undercover. I found myself in Afghanistan, Korea, Russia... That's where I met Natasha." The air felt thick and Darcy struggled to breathe again. "I was captured by the Soviet Union when I was sent to kill one of their own. I was held there for over a month before S.H.I.E.L.D got me out, thanks to a tip from the Russian spy I was sent to kill in the first place who had defected to our side by that point." Clint took off his jacket carefully but skilfully and began to drape it over the back of the chair. She knew what he wanted to show her but she couldn't tear her eyes away with an unpleasant fascination as he revealed his scars. "For 38 days, I couldn't move more than 3 feet in that cell."

Darcy's heart broke, and she couldn't keep quiet any longer, Clint sounded so lost and helpless as he relived the memories, it must have been years since he last spoke out loud about these incidents. And he was talking about them to her. She felt both honored and sad to hear his history. She needed to prove that she was there for him. She stood up and moved over so she was standing in front of him. She gently placed her hand over his wrists. Kneeling on the wooden floor of the gazebo, Darcy lowered her head and brought each wrist to her lips, placing a ghost of a kiss on the inside of each one.

He let out a shaky breath and gripped both sides of Darcy's head with his hands, urging her to look up at him.

"Darcy, my nightmares... My episodes..."

"I don't care about those." Darcy tried to assure him.

"I hurt you." She remembered that morning, it seemed so long ago now, she remembered being scared and shutting herself off from him, she remembered finding those ripped stitches from where he thrashed in his sleep, kicking her. She remembered, but it didn't matter anymore, almost like it was a scene from a movie, like it didn't actually happen to her. Darcy knew she was stronger than that now, and that he would never hurt her again.

"You don't understand, Clint, _you_ make _my_ nightmares go away." She smiled up at him, sending all her love for him in that one, slightly goofy, grin. "You helped me with _my_ episodes." Darcy felt overwhelmed with the need to laugh. It was silly, but she couldn't stop herself. She was so happy and he didn't understand her joy! "_You_ saved _me_!"

"I don't..." He was looking at her with a concerned face, like she'd gone insane or something. "Darcy..." He whispers pleadingly.

"It was you. It sounds stupid and like some shit made for TV movie but, Clint, you helped me stay grounded every time I felt like I was falling. You gave me hope. It was you at a travelling circus from when I was a kid that I pictured to stop from freaking out. It must have been you. You!" She had convinced herself of this as she spoke, only just putting the dots together as the words spilt from her lips. This was the perfect moment. She'd watched every shit TV movie there ever was, and it was a moment like this, towards the end of the movie when the protagonist confessed their feelings and everything was wonderful as the catchy pop song started to play over them kissing, the camera panning over a sunset or the ocean. "Clint, I lo-"

"Excuse me!"

What? Darcy spun her head around to face the interrupting noise. It was some random guy wearing a blue hoodie and jeans. He had a baseball cap on his head that was obscuring half his face, but Darcy could still tell he was around her age, probably a bit younger. He was holding a white plastic bag that's handles were tied in a bow at the top. Clint must have ordered take out, it made sense seeing at there was no food anyway in sight and the boy looked like a delivery boy.

Was he _fucking_ kidding? She growled, this never happened in the movies! She stood up and gave Clint a quick kiss, trying to hide her frustration of being interupted right when she was about to profess her love for him. "I'll be right back." She promised and jogged towards the young lad. "Hey, sorry!" She apologized as she reached him.

"Are you the Barton party?" He asked with a raised eyebrow, looking down at a scrap of paper in his hand.

"Yep." She answered, glancing back at the gazebo. "Is it pre-paid?" The boy nodded and handed the bag over to her, Darcy hooked her fingers under the bow. "Awesome. I don't have any money on me." She admitted. "Sorry."

"That's fine; the guy who ordered already gave a tip." Darcy smiled, that was sweet of Clint, or maybe it was just him being the prepared controlling agent S.H.I.E.L.D had trained him to be.

"Thanks, have a good night!" Darcy said and started to turn on her heels.

"You're welcome. Oh shoot. I forgot the fortune cookies. Hang on." The young man ran over to the van that was parked outside the foyer of the Ice Cream Complaints Office, over a grassy hill, fifty feet or so away.

Darcy was tempted to tell the boy not to bother, but she really liked fortune cookies. Well, she liked laughing at their vague nonsense. Damn. She jogged behind the boy so he didn't have to run all the way back for the sake of two bits of paper wrapped in a crispy cookie shell.

It all happened so quickly that she didn't have time to react. She had just looked back to check on Clint, the gazebo going out of her view as she ran over to the road. Then she turned to face the young guy but ran straight into something solid.

Darcy fell backwards, the bag flying out of her hand and landing on the grass, just managing to find her feet as she stumbled, catching a glimpse of a huge man in black looming over her in the process.

She didn't know what happened next, but she was dizzy and on the ground, her face stung from impact and her eyes blurry with tears. It took a second to figure out that she had been hit by something and fell to the ground because of it. She panicked. Darcy kicked out her feet and rolled onto her belly, trying to stand up and run before she was hit again, which earned her a sharp kick in the ribs.

"Cli-" She tried to scream but it was muffled as a large man wrapped his arm around her head and neck then pulling her up forcefully. Her face was throbbing with sharp pain, but she tried to breathe through it and attempted to bite down on the arm covering her mouth. His hold was too tight for her, effectively gagging her as she tried to scream again.

Shit! Shit shit shit! Was the only thought that ran through her head as she tried to thrash around and kick her attacker, but he seemed impervious to her heels beating against his shins. Her eyes were wide, but everything was still blurry from the head trauma, she could only see the van that was parked outside the building as she was dragged towards the back of it.

The young man who delivered the food was getting into the front driver's seat, and the huge man holding her threw her into the back like a rag doll then joined her.

"Clint!" She managed to cry out before the huge man realized his mistake in letting her go and swore. Clint must have heard her; Darcy told herself as the mean looking man grabbed her hair, using his rough grip to smash her head against the cold metal floor of the van. Clint would be running to save her _right now_, she thought, she hoped, as she shut her eyes tightly in anticipation and her skull connected to the hard surface.

It all went black after that.

Xxxxxx

So… please don't kill me!

Let me know what you think, as I _breathe_ for reviews and there is a direct correlation between the amount of reviews I get and how fast I upload the next chapter… All I'm saying is that whenever I hit 400 reviews or by Sunday I will upload the next chapter, whichever comes first ;-) (I'm only saying that because I'm pretty sure I won't hit 400 until AFTER Sunday lol but it's nice to have goals).

Anyway, ignore me. And I hoped you enjoyed reading this chapter! Lord knows it's been building up to this for a while!

Thanks for reading,

Charlie


	19. Chapter 19

Breathe

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Angelfeet – Thanks for the love/hate, I have a similar opinion of cliff-hangers as well, so you have my sympathy lol. Your review made me laugh and I hope you like this next chapter! Enjoy!

Risalyn – Sorry! It had been building for a while and I'm so thrilled with everyone reaction to THIS chapter, although you reaction was one of the best lol. Thanks for the review and I can't wait to see your reaction to this chapter ;-)

Kim – I have to admit, I was being purposefully cruel at the end of the last chapter, although I've uploaded this one early so you don't have to suffer as much! Thanks for the review, I hope this chapter doesn't let you down!

Lenetra - I'm so happy you liked Clint's history and opening up to Darcy. It took a lot of time to write and I wasn't even sure if I would have that scene at all but I wanted to give them a fighting chance and that meant Clint opening up to her. Darcy's list of Clint's Top Five Body Parts is a real thing, I wrote it down after the first reference and often look back at it, I will publish it at some point, although it is very very similar to yours lol. Thanks for the support of the whole 'answering reviews' thing, I'm just happy to talk to you guys about my fic, I'm so grateful for the reviews and it's one of the only ways I say really say thanks. Anyways, ff . net make it very easy to PM reviews and it means people don't have to scroll through pages and pages of my rambling before getting to the story lol. Anyway, thanks for another fantastic review and I can not wait to see what you make of the next ;-)

Ashley – Thanks! You certainly know how to make a girl blush! Adore? I've never had anyone say that before *blushes even more*. I know what you mean about killing one of them tho, I'm reading this one fic on AO3 where Darcy dies in the first chapter then it goes back to the beginning and it's heartbreakingly beautiful! It's Bruce/Darcy but well worth a read, called "Here Among The Clouds, We Are Safe And Sound (You Lift Me Up). Long title I know, but a totally underrated fic that I think everyone should check out!

QueenB4U – Lol, I've never had so many omg's in one review before! Thanks! I hope you like the next chapter and it has equal, if not more, omg moments!

Guest No. 1 – Your wish is my command! Here is the next chapter, a whole 30 hours before when I planned to publish it on Sunday! Thanks for the review, although it was more of an order lol.

Guest No. 2 – I like your way of thinking ;-) Loki and Clint would make a badass duo that would save Darcy lol. Anyway, sorry to keep you waiting and thanks for your awesome review! I hope you enjoy this new chapter.

Guest No. 3 – You are right, 401 reviews now, it's time to fulfil my promise and here's chapter 19!

Xxxxxx

Honestly, you have all amazed me, in the last chapter I said I would upload the next chapter on Sunday or when I hit 400 reviews, never thinking I would hit 400 reviews between then and tomorrow, but you guys have blown me away and all your kind words and comments should be rewarded! So, with 401 reviews to this fic, WAAAAY more than I ever thought I'd get when I started out publishing this, here is chapter 19! I hope you all enjoy it and it makes up for the horrible cliff I left you on last time!

Sandra, thank you for rushing on this, I now know not to make promises like that when the next chapter isn't even ready lol! You are a star for doing that and putting up with me panicked tweets and silly worried emails. Again, these last few chapters are completely for you. I wrote this one when we started emailing and your incredibly lovely support and enthusiasm inspired me as I wrote this. I hope it doesn't let you down. Thanks again for your continued help.

Xxxxxx

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Chapter 19

The first thing Darcy noticed was how dry her mouth was, she tried to move her tongue around to moisten the area only to discover a bitter taste of copper on her rough tongue.

She was sitting, thank god; otherwise she would have fallen over. Her head felt like it was whirling around so fast it took her a moment to finally raise it up and realize her eyes, although open, couldn't see anything. Her eyelashes brushed against scratchy material every time she blinked. She was blindfolded.

"Fuckers." She managed to croak, her voice cracked at the word. Her throat ached from the lack of water and the trauma that was probably caused by that thugs arm wrapped around it tightly.

She tried to move her arms and legs but could only wriggle them a few inches back and forth. Great, she was blindfolded and tied to a chair; at least her wrists were tied to the arms of the chair and not behind her back, so her shoulders weren't strained. Darcy had seen enough horror movies to know this didn't well; then again, any movies when a person is blindfolded and tied to a chair didn't end well. So the guy with the take-out food had got her to follow him, and then his partner shoved her into a van and kidnapped her. Darcy's stomach churned at the information, or maybe it was because they had taken her before she had a chance to eat anything. All she had eaten today was half a fucking apple.

"Fuckers!" Darcy managed to say a bit louder now, her throat adjusting to the injury, although it still was irritating to speak.

It couldn't have been random, Darcy decided. The young guy had lured Darcy away with the food, so they had to have pre-planned it. Maybe they wanted to get to Clint? After all, the order was in his name and not hers. But why not just knock her out, and then go after him in the gazebo? Two against one. Darcy's mouth was pulled in a tight frown, her lips dehydrated and cracking. Clint was a super spy and killer marksman, and while there were two thugs, only one was actually strong and Clint could have easily taken him on in a fight. She knew for a fact he always had a gun on him, even at home, S.H.I.E.L.D protocol or something. She was definitely the easy target of them both.

Darcy felt a slight breeze against her cheek, like the draft from a door opening, but sound was muffled by the cloth tightly wrapped around her head, so she couldn't be certain. Maybe they just left a window open for her. No, Darcy told herself, that would be ridiculous. It's like rule number one in the kidnappers guide: Don't Leave Window or Doors Unlocked.

Shit, how was she going to get herself out of this one? Darcy sighed, if only S.H.I.E.L.D did the 'escaping capture' lesson on the first day, then at least she'd have some idea of where to start. Her mind dipped, thinking about Clint's story from earlier. He was in that Russian prison for over a month; if he couldn't escape with his training, then she had no chance. She unclenched her fists and felt around the cuff that was holding her wrists in place. It was soft, yet hard, like velvet covered metal. They didn't cut into her skin unless she tugged or strained against them. Her feet must have been held by the same stuff, although she could still feel her high heeled shoes pinching her toes. How nice of them, Darcy thought sarcastically. Perhaps she could flick one of them at the enemy? If she was lucky, then she could take someone's eye out with the heel.

She tried to relax in the chair slightly, taking a deep breath out as she did so. Clint would have figured out something was wrong when she didn't return after a minute or two; he would have called in a team to locate and search for her. They would storm through the door in less than an hour, and she would be safe and sound in his arms by the end of tonight, she told herself. S.H.I.E.L.D is pretty fucking awesome at this stuff, they would find her. She was certain of it.

But on the other hand, whoever took her knew about S.H.I.E.L.D's secret base. They knew how to lure her away and take her on Darcy's own turf without getting caught in the getaway. This told her that they knew S.H.I.E.L.D's techniques; they knew how to stay hidden. Fuck. They probably even had a mole inside the organization that told them about Clint and Darcy's relationship, making her a perfect target to get to him.

She groaned and rested her head on the back of the chair, it was uncomfortable and hard, but her head still hurt and all this thinking was making it worse.

"Would you like some drugs?" Darcy sent a silent thanks to her body that she didn't jump or yelp in shock at the sudden voice from a man she didn't know what there. Whoever he was, he sounded older and was standing or sitting directly in front of her.

"Some weed would be awesome. I doubt you're holding though." Darcy said, her tone more causal and relaxed then she expected to be in this scenario.

The older man chuckled lightly, he must be around late fifties, Darcy determined, he sounded like her dad's friends age. "I'm afraid I'm not. I meant some aspirin or ibuprofen."

"Lame. You need to up your game. All the other bad guys in town have at least Vicodin." Darcy exclaimed, her head still lolled back in the chair, she closed her eyes against the pain, plus there was no point in having them open anyway.

"I'm not the bay guy."

She scoffed, her throat instantly making her regret it. "Sorry, my mistake. Kidnapping a girl and tying her to a chair, blindfolded, totally screams 'I'm the good guy'!" Darcy gave a small 'pfft' sound as she finished mocking the man; she strained her wrists against the bindings for effect.

"Miss Lewis, I'm sure by now you've figured out that my quarrel is not with you. You're-" The man started.

Darcy was getting fed up and fast. She felt the urge to roll her eyes at the man but couldn't so instead decided to interrupt him. "Quarrel? Dude, you've see way too many James Bond movies or something. No one in real life speaks like that." She lifted her head up and tilted it to the side and pursed her lips, imagining she looked silly with a thick piece of cloth wrapped around her face.

"You're merely a means to an end." The man continued his tone slightly more exasperated than before. Way to go, she thought, piss of the villain. Actually, it seemed like a fairly good idea until he got fed up and tried to kill her or something. "Sorry." Darcy scoffed, he didn't sound the least bit sorry.

"I dunno, I've made a few enemies in the past, how'd I know you're not really Louise Neil?" Darcy moved her hands into mock innocence by holding them out towards him as much as the restraints would let her. "Look, I'm sorry I stole your boyfriend in third grade, he just liked me better 'cause I had a Power Rangers backpack and you didn't." She allowed herself to smile at her silly joke before her head was thrown to the side, and a cry escaped her mouth. It took a moment to register that she'd be backhanded, but now it stung her cheek so much her chest ached from shock. She took a huge gulp of air in and tried to hold back the tears and pain. Her left wrist hurt, it had tugged hard against the cuff when she was thrown to the right from the force of his slap. She wriggled her fingers, it didn't feel broken, not that she would know what that felt like. Darcy was suddenly aware that she had never broken a single bone in her body. Actually, she'd never even been punched or slapped before, she had no experience of real pain or how she would cope against it. She had no threshold to compare anything to. She felt a shiver run up her spine at the danger she was in and how hilariously unprepared she was for it. "Wow. It must be so easy to hit a defenceless woman; can you at least look me in the face next time?" She challenged him, she dribbled as she spoke; at least, she hoped it was just saliva. She swallowed, no; her mouth was full of that metallic taste from before. She must have cut her tongue or lip when he hit her. At least she didn't feel as dehydrated or hungry now, funny how pain and fear makes other things disappear, she pondered.

The man roughly grabbed her hair and forced her head down, her chin hitting her chest at his force. He was undoing the mask but carelessly, pulling and ripping her hair as he did so. Darcy opened her eyes, ready to see anything when he finally threw the cloth to the side of the room.

It took a minute for her to adjust to the harsh light, but she could see she was in a small room, the walls were bare, and she could see the concrete and big grey brick blocks that made her prison. She was facing the metal door, which was a horrible dirty grey color, and the only objects in the room were the metal chair she was sitting on and the one he previously sat on. She looked down and saw the legs of her chair were screwed into the cemented floor. No escaping like Natasha had in that awesome Russian mission she told Darcy about.

She was still in her black wrap dress, which was thankfully covering her knees. Her wrists were bloody from where the restraints were cutting into them, and her fingers were dark from dirt. She guessed it was from the struggle on the lawn when they had taken her.

The man was still standing behind her, hiding. Coward, she thought, he could at least show his face to the woman he hurt and kidnapped.

"Nice place ya got here." Darcy said cheerily. "Can I get the grand tour?"

"Maybe later." He indulged her silly request. "First, I wanted to know why a young woman like you is working for S.H.I.E.L.D." The man walked slowly around the chair.

He wasn't what Darcy thought he would look like, then again, her head was fuzzy from being knocked around, and she didn't even know what she should expect in circumstances such as this. He was around his late fifties, his short white hair was styled neatly, but it wasn't cut to be high fashion, the dark grey suit he was wearing was smart and incredibly well made but again, didn't brag about being expensive. His shoes were black and shiny, not a single scuff mark on them like hers, he obviously took a lot of pride in his clothes, which made Darcy think he was a military man, they always took care of their shoes. Plus, he knew about her working for S.H.I.E.L.D; so he must have some high level of clearance wherever he worked. On the whole, this man looked more like he should run a bank or own some boring Internet Security Company; not keeping a young woman locked up and tied to a chair. He looked nice, friendly almost, if it wasn't for the sneer on his lips.

"Shield? Who- who's Shield? I work for Wow-Cow Ice Cream!" She lied, keeping up her cover story. Honestly, Darcy loved the fact that this big scary organization had access to almost anything and everything couldn't come up with a better ice cream company name than 'Wow-Cow'. She wished she was a fly on the wall in that meeting.

"Don't play coy with me, Miss Lewis." The man took his time sitting down, lifting his trousers around the knees so the fabric wouldn't strain against his legs. "Wow-Cow Ice Cream was established in 1993 as the cover for S.H.I.E.L.D operations."

"Wait? S.H.I.E.L.D? Like Ironman and that? Seriously dude, I just answer phones and listen to customers complain about how their ice cream was 'too icy' or 'not creamy enough'. It's nothing to do with that S.H.I.E.L.D stuff I see on TV." Darcy was surprised at how believable she sounded. "You've got the wrong girl." She couldn't help but remember those exact words she said to Fury when they told her they wanted her as an Agent.

"If you lie to me again, Miss Lewis, I won't be so nice." He relaxed in the chair opposite her and crossed his legs, his right ankle now resting on his left knee. This all seemed so casual and natural to him that Darcy was having a hard time containing her fear.

"Hitting me in the face is nice? Fuck, I'd hate to see you when you're PMSing." Darcy was very proud that her voice only slightly trembled. He laughed lightly, crossing his arms which cause Darcy to flinch at the sudden, unexpected movement. He noticed and smiled, enjoying and revelling in her reaction. Her fear.

Creep.

"Miss Lewis, have they taught you nothing about hostage scenarios?" He almost looked bored; if it wasn't for the slight smirk on his face then Darcy would have compared him to a business man on a train, waiting to get home after a long day at work, rather than an insane baddie who was holding her against her free will.

Darcy raised an eyebrow. She had no idea how she was staying so calm on the surface. This was one of the times she actually thanked her big mouth, it helps disguise her fear and distract him long enough for someone to come save her.

"It doesn't really come up much in the ice cream industry, if I'm honest." She nodded slightly and sucked in some air through her teeth. "Now teaching me to listen to fatties moan about not having enough chocolate in their chocolate chip cookie cones? That is a skill I could use!" Darcy was so thankful she actually spent time reading about the S.H.I.E.L.D base cover story, she laughed at the time about their silly names and overuse of alliteration, but it was coming in handy here. He didn't look impressed and uncrossed his legs, leaning forward as if he was about to stand up. Darcy's mind panicked, she didn't think she could handle getting hit again, her face was throbbing with pain and the occasional strain when she said certain words that moved her jaw the wrong way. "Speaking of food." She looked down at her stomach, a rather hard feat when tied to a chair and her breasts were as big as they were, but she got the point across. "Your lackeys took me before I had a chance to try any of that Chinese takeout, and you haven't even offered me a beverage, is that really the way to treat a guest in your… home?" Honestly, food was the last thing on Darcy's mind now, she would love some water to wet her mouth and wash out the taste of blood, but the idea of eating was making her feel sick. Funny how things changed so quickly.

"Miss Lewis, I think it's in your best interest to just answer my questions."

"Quid pro quo, Clarice." Darcy quoted, doing her best Anthony Hopkins voice then laughing at her own joke. He stood up quickly, knocking the chair back across the room with a loud bang then took two quick strides towards her.

Fuck, this was going to hurt, Darcy though darkly, flinching as she watched his fist descend towards her face.

Where was Clint? He should be there by now, Darcy felt herself getting less hopeful of a hero style rescue when the mans knuckles connected with her cheek.

Xxxxxx

* * *

"That's not good enough!" A loud bang echoed in the meeting room from the chair Clint just threw into the wall. His breathing was frantic, along with his temper.

"Calm down, Agent." Fury warned, sitting in his usual chair at the head of the table. He had just finished explaining the situation to everyone and ended by saying they had no leads. Not a single clue about the men who drove up to their front fucking doors and took one of their own! Clint was outraged at their lack of knowledge.

Clint's eyes scanned everyone around him. Jane looked as distraught as he felt, Thor carefully wiping the tears that cascaded down her cheeks like she was fragile doll about to break. Bruce looked stressed but trying to stay composed, the only give away of his distress was his hand trembling as he took off his glasses to clean them. Pepper was worried; her usually free and easy going vibe was dampened with a frown and sad eyes. Tony looked angry. So did Natasha and Erik, although it was a more silent seething than Tony's outraged glares and comments. Clint had no problem with them. They were as pissed as he was, and he was fine with that.

He was too busy glaring at Steve, Fury, Hill and Coulson. They all looked so calm, like they didn't give a shit about Darcy. He was two seconds from lashing out at them when he felt Natasha place her hand on his upper arm. Taking a shaky breath in, he told himself to settle down before standing in his usual corner of the meeting room.

He needed to get away from the middle of this, he always saw better from a distance, and he couldn't see anything but rage and worry right now. He was completely compromised.

"How did this happen? Who would do this to her?" Jane asked her voice small, disbelief clear in her voice at the situation.

"We don't think it's anything personal with Miss Lewis." Agent Coulson began to explain. "We believe these men are part of a bigger organization that found out about our location, all they had to do was wait for the perfect opportunity to strike."

"This is my fault." Clint muttered, his arms folded across his chest, his head angled into the wall. He couldn't look at the rest of the team.

"There is no one to blame, except the men who took Lady Darcy." Thor tried to reassure him. Clint shook his head, looking up to the heavens as if they had the answers.

"Hang on, what if it was personal?" Tony chipped in. He grabbed some of the photo stills taken from the security cameras and riffled through them until he found what he was after. "Look, this big guy." He pressed his index finger firmly on the picture. "He knocked her to the ground, he had time to go for Barton then but didn't. No, he stuck with Darcy and took her. Why waste time taking her, some random person, when Hawkeye was less than ten feet away?" Tony scanned the other pictures with his smart phone, copying them to it then tapping on the screen to enlarge certain things before swiping his finger over the screen to move onto the next one.

"He has a point. If they wanted a hostage, then why not take Agent Barton, he's been on TV enough for people to know who he is and how involved he is within S.H.I.E.L.D; he would have made a much better hostage." Agent Hill looked bitter to be agreeing with Tony, but he made a valid point. "They knew it was Clint who ordered the food after all."

"So they took her to get to Clint?" Bruce asked, not sounding convinced.

"No, we only just found out about how serious their relationship is. To an outsider, Darcy looks like nothing more than a fling. Why kidnap her to get to Clint when it was just a first date?" Tony began. Clint pushed himself off of the wall and stalked over to the older man, his anger and intention clear as he went to grab him. Tony tried to backtrack, holding up his hands in innocence. "Woah, cowboy. What I meant was that Darcy was clearly the intended target, not you. Look." Tony held up his phone to show Clint.

"What is that?" Clint asked, his hand coming up to grab the small device and look closer at the photo Tony was showing him.

"The smaller guy's jacket. It's just a fraction of a photo, but it's clear enough." Tony tapped the screen and it zoomed in, half a second later the pixelated image cleared slightly to reveal what Tony was getting at.

"That's Darcy. Why does he have a picture of Darcy in his pocket?" Jane asked, she had stood up and peered over his shoulder.

Tony clicked his fingers and slapped his fist; the pop sound brought everyone's attention back to him. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't you think it would have been a better idea to tell Darcy about her father _before_ she was kidnapped because of him." He looked pointedly at Fury, an irritated look on him face, and he revealed his knowledge.

Fury glared at him. "You don't know what you're talking about, Stark." He warned.

"Actually, I do."

"What's going on?" Bruce's voice had an edge to it; he was getting impatient as well. Clint didn't tear his eyes away from the tiny picture of Darcy the young delivery boy had in his pocket. He could feel the air in the room get thicker as lies were exposed and confusion set in, but he couldn't focus on that, not when Darcy was who knows where, getting hurt, or worse, because he let her out of his sight.

"Fury and his Angel's have been keeping secrets." Clint was surprised at how angry Tony sounded as he accused them; he guessed Stark liked Darcy more than he let on. He stalked back to his corner, feeling the urge to hide and sulk with the evidence of how serious this situation was, but knowing that wouldn't help her. So instead, he watched as the shit truly hit the fan as his mind began to figure out the quickest and most effective way to find Darcy.

"Secrets? About Darcy?" Jane was worried, Thor was trying to get her to sit down, but she was a strong woman who was getting more frustrated at the hidden information S.H.I.E.L.D was keeping from them.

Clint knew this energy. It was that moment before everyone started tearing at each other's throats. He pinched the bridge of his nose, he couldn't handle all of their petty arguments when Darcy was out there, God knows what being do to her. And it was all his fault.

"I was going to tell her tonight." Clint's voice cut through the accusations. "I was taking her out to dinner to tell her about her father." He didn't turn from the wall as he spoke, his throat tight as he struggled to vocalize the truth. "Umm… He worked for S.H.I.E.L.D years ago; he was one of the founders along with Phil and Nick." Clint ran his hands roughly over his nose and mouth, taking in another deep breath in before speaking again. "He was a great Agent; he stopped a lot of bad people from doing a lot of bad things."

"So if someone with a grudge against William Lewis found out who Darcy was, then they would have the perfect way to get revenge." Natasha finished.

"Who found out?" Erik was acting a lot calmer than the rest of them.

"I don't know." Clint answered his head dropping into his hands. "I suppose…" He tried to think of everyone William told him about, the worst of the worst, but all of them were either dead or in jail. "I don't know." It pained him to admit defeat, his fingers itched to do something, to find her and protect her, but it was useless. He let her out of his sight for one moment and she was gone. Again.

"Friend, it is not your fault."

Clint felt his face turn into a sneer as he practically spat his words. "I was ten feet from her when she was taken. I heard her scream for me, but I wasn't quick enough to save her. She _screamed_ for me and I wasn't there!"

"You were going to tell her the truth."

"I should have told her sooner. Maybe then…" He clenched his hands into fists, pulling them away from his face to hit the wall behind him. He was angry at everything, everyone, but mainly himself. At first, he never wanted to tell her the truth. He knew the second he told her about her father, who he was, and how S.H.I.E.L.D had been watching her every move with a hidden agenda, him included, she would have hated him for it. It was selfish, but he feared she would be mad and upset and yell, she would never be able to trust him because of his lies, and they would break up and she would leave. Taking his heart with her as she went. But he was willing to risk that, to tell her tonight for more selfish reasons, he weighted up the options and all looked glum, but he just couldn't lie any longer, not when he loved her. He wanted his conscience to be clear when he admitted his feelings; he owed her the truth before they started having a proper relationship.

Clint was thankful that Natasha began to speak, drawing attention away from him. "I think it's safe to assume we have a traitor in our ranks. I'll start by going to the restaurant and hopefully get some answers there. It won't be much, but at least it's something to start from."

"Agreed. I'll start looking into anyone William Lewis crossed paths with and where they are now, maybe something will flash up." Maria contributed. Clint nodded lightly as the group began to make plans.

"We've already got the face recognition software running, we'll start cross searching for anyone that you flag up Maria as well." Coulson's voice was gruffer than usual, almost tired like, Clint didn't like it. It meant Phil didn't really believe they'd find anything. He'd already given up faith in their equipment.

"Darcy's been working near the tesseract for 3 weeks; there might still be some residual gamma radiation I can trace?"

"Bruce, it won't be enough, the half-life of it is too short, and she's never actually touched the damn thing." Tony sighed. "I'm going to scan the skies for anything suspicious."

"Me too." Thor nodded towards him. "Erik, are you close to completing the tesseract transporter? If I could get to Asgard than I could-"

"We've been so busy with the remaining Chitauri, I've barely started it."

Clint's head snapped up, his eyes narrowing as he pushed himself off the wall. He pushed open the door and heard his friends calling out to him, obviously worried. He didn't respond, his mind too focused already on his next mission. His wide steps turned into a jog, he soon found himself running to the only elevator that went where he needed to go. Punching the call button with his fist, it didn't take long for the doors to open and for him to get there.

Brushing past security, he practically slammed the door open when he entered the room. He took his gun out of its holster and fired a shot into the wall on the other side of the room.

"Now now, Agent Barton, if you wanted my attention, all you had to do was ask." Loki turned from the bookshelf he was standing in front of to face him. Loki's grin faltered when he saw Clint's grim expression. "You let someone take her!" Loki sneered at him, his whole posture changing as he lurched forward towards the glass, his eyes wild and bitter.

"I didn't let them!" Clint growled through clenched teeth. He really didn't want to be here and Loki, the man who tore him inside out and abused his mind, accusing him letting the love of his life be taken willingly made it a hell of a lot harder to think clearly.

"Why are you here then? Only a man wrapped in guilt would come seek his enemy for help."

"You have powers I don't even try to understand." Clint whispered, shocked at himself for standing in front of Loki.

"What about your friends, surely they are aiding in the search." Loki asked, surprised at the idea that Fury's team of soldiers weren't hunting high and low for one of their own.

"We don't have much to go on." Clint felt torn, admitting weakness was never an easy thing for him to do but right now, he didn't care about looking weak, only that he got Darcy home.

"Ah," Realization dawned on the God's face. "You have a rat in your establishment. How… Refreshingly ugly of your race."

"I know!" Clint ran his hands roughly over his face again, the truth was difficult to hear, especially when it meant the woman he loved was in more danger than they originally thought. The only people that knew about Darcy's father worked for S.H.I.E.L.D, anyone who had done a brief history of the organization knew the name William Lewis and the tragic story that followed, it was a lesson to them all.

"Sit, Agent Barton." Loki offered, his arm gesturing towards the lone chair on Clint's side of the room. Despite being locked in a glass cage, Loki somehow still had all the control and power.

"I see better from a distance." It was an automatic response, the words slipping from his lips before he thought about them.

"That may be true, but this isn't about your sight, is it?" Clint glanced up to see Loki's green eyes piercing his. "Matters of the heart take a bit more… finesse."

Clint reluctantly took the seat, leaning forward so his elbows were resting on his spread knees. His face needing to take comfort in his hands, before rubbing the burning tears aside from the corners of his eyes and placing his hands hard over his mouth. The silence went on until Clint managed to find the words.

"You have a connection with her. I don't like it, but she likes you." Loki shrugged at the statement, agreeing. "Can you find her, like with Thor in New Mexico?" Clint thought back to when he was watching The God of Thunder sitting in that small holding room, not completely unfamiliar to the one Loki was in, Thor was devastated, talking to himself like a mad man, or so it seemed. Having learned more about the situation, Clint now knew Loki was in the room with him, feeding his brother lies in his weakest moment. If he could get to Thor when he was imprisoned, then his magic could get to Darcy.

Loki sighed, his hands not moving from their position behind his back. "I knew where to find Thor. Even if I knew where Darcy was, I couldn't communicate with her in here." For the first time Clint had seen Loki in his glass cage, he actually looked trapped.

"I hate you; I didn't think I could hate you anymore after what you did to me. But right now," Clint pointed to the floor as he punctuated each word so full of distain that even Loki's eyes twitched and narrowed. "You can't help her, and it makes me hate you."

Loki kept quiet, his eyes avoiding the shorter man's with guilt.

"It makes me hate myself for admitting that I need your help and for what good? You're weak. You may pretend to be fine and powerful in this box, but I know it's a lie. After all, that's all you're good for. Lies." His mouth twisted into a sneer as he directed all the rage and hurt he felt to this one man he loathed more than any before. "You know, I wish I'd killed you when I got the chance. Put an arrow right through one of your shifty eyes. I wish Fury hadn't brought her down to speak to you. I wish she didn't have whatever sick friendship you have because I knew it would end badly."

"This wasn't my doing, Agent Barton. You know that." Loki tilted his head and narrowed his eyes, his tone remaining calm despite the hatred focused towards him.

"You don't think I know that!? This is my fault!" Clint's arms tensed and shook slightly with the strain as he pointed to himself. "She'd probably have been safer with you than with me. You probably would have had the guts to tell her the truth before anything like this could happen, and that makes me so fucking sick, you know that? To think _you_ would have been a better boyfriend than _me_? You would have been more _honest_ with her!" Clint gave a bitter laugh, more tears escaping from the corner of his eyes as he looked up at the various cameras and air ducts above them. He felt like crawling in one of them and hiding until Natasha had to drag his ass down after a particularly bad mission, like old times. But things were different now. He was different now. "This is what I deserve." He finally said, his breathing less irate and a strange calm washing over him. "I- I knew she was too good for me, and I still lied to her, every moment we spent together was based on S.H.I.E.L.D's lie. I knew it was only a matter of time before I lost her." Something then shifted, Clint transitioned into his steely agent persona and dared to step up to Loki, chin raised and eyes hard. "But Darcy doesn't deserve this, we both know that. So I don't care what happens in the end, whether it's your life or mine I have to sacrifice, but I _will_ get her home. You understand?"

"I will keep my mind open. If I see anything, than I shall contact you." Loki informed him, not moving an inch except to tap his temples to let Clint know what magic trick he was referring to. "She has a strong heart. She will be alive when you find her."

"Yeah, but how broken?" Clint circled his left hand around his right wrist and rubbed the scars that marked his skin. Darcy was strong minded, smart, incredibly resourceful and fiercely independent, all the things her father taught her to be, he only worried that it would put her in more danger than if she was just a normal girl.

Xxxxxx

* * *

Fuck! Darcy couldn't stop repeating the mantra in her head. Fuck, fuck, fuck! Her face stung like a bitch, her head was caning, and she could see the blood seeping from her wrists down her fingers and drip to the cold floor. Now her ribs had joined the party of pain too thanks to a few punches from this asshole.

"Don't I know you?"

"I doubt it."

Darcy wheezed slightly as she took in a sharp breath of air. Her common sense was telling her to shut up, but Darcy wanted this man to suffer so she kept talking. "Didn't I buy my first vehicle from you? Gary, is it?"

"Miss Lewis, this would be a lot less painful if you kept quiet." The white haired man sighed; he was beginning to lose his patience with her. Good.

"That car was a piece of shit. Every five miles, down to the inch, it would stall." Darcy smirked at the memories; she had in her barely road legal transit van back in Philly. "I wouldn't have minded if it didn't keep happening when I was cruising down the freeway. I swear, that thing was legit scary." Darcy began to laugh but winced at the sharp twinge that coursed through her ribs caused her to stop and wheeze.

"Miss Lewis..." He warned. This man was starting to sound like her old high school English teacher. She'd always debate with him about characters and themes that were completely wrong or taken out of context, just to see him get flustered and angry.

"I didn't care though, that van was awesome. I lost my virginity in the back of that thing."

"If only your father could hear you now." He muttered, busying himself by smoothing out creases in his jackets arms.

"So, Gary, why'd you stop selling cars and get into the villain business?" Darcy looked around the near empty grey room. "I bet it's the dental. You have nice teeth, Gary."

"I'm not Gary."

"Well, given as you've yet to introduce yourself to me, I've had to guess." She reasoned.

"Miss Lewis. I doubt we've met, because I've been in prison the last fifteen years." Darcy's mouth formed a little 'o' as he hiked his slightly blood spattered trousers up and picked up the discarded chair, setting it up right before taking a seat.

"What for?" Darcy's tried really hard to keep her voice sincere and genuine and was rewarded with an answer.

"Fraud, money laundering, terrorism." He brushed his hands over each other, as if wiping off invisible dirt as he explained his past crimes. His eyes crinkled around the edges as he smirked, his stare flickered up to meet hers and Darcy couldn't stop her eyes going wide like a deer caught in headlights. "Murder." She gasped slightly and swallowed down the lump in her throat.

Fear. It ran cold in her veins as he taunted her with his lack of remorse. She shouldn't be surprised, he had arranged her kidnap after all, and had repeatedly beaten her. It didn't exactly scream 'moral compass', but there was something in his eyes, the slight glint at the memory, how he almost took joy in it, it showed her the true monster he was. Under his fancy suit and shoes.

She pushed down the fear, trying to build her confidence back up so she could pry more information out of him, but he continued to talk, destroying any shred of courage she had regained.

"You remind me of her." He sat back in the chair, his posture of someone relaxed and at ease, but his face twisted in sick pleasure. She squirmed in the chair. "Dark hair, bright blue eyes and big lips to match her big smart-mouth." He chuckled to himself as the air went still. "She begged me for her life as I crushed her windpipe." Darcy shivered and closed her eyes as tightly as she could, pushing herself further back in the chair to put more space between them as he changed his mind and stood up. "My name is the last thing she ever said..." Darcy heard a scrape of metal against the hard floor and flinched when she felt his face a breath away from hers. "Please, I have a daughter, please, no, Jackson!" He hissed into Darcy's ear as she turned her head away from his sadistic words. "There's something about the way a life drains from the eyes that stays with you, Miss Lewis."

"I'll remember that," Darcy whispered, her tone full of promise as she opened her eyes to look at her trapped right hand, her clenched white knuckled a stark contrast to the red and brownish stains. "Jackson." She wanted to feel glad that she got his name but at what cost? She couldn't get the image of him choking her with his bare hands out of her mind. Him looking down at her with his piercingly cold grey eyes and that twisted smile as she struggled to breathe, clutching and scratching at his iron hands to no success. She felt sick, her stomach knotted as she tasted the vile tang of stomach acid rise in the back of her throat.

"Now, that would make your father proud." Jackson took a step back and glanced at his watch, tutting at the time. "It's been six hours. I'm surprised S.H.I.E.L.D isn't banging down the doors yet." He strolled back to the chair and retook his seat. "Maybe that boyfriend of yours doesn't really care."

Darcy's heart clenched. Clint cared, she knew he did. It didn't take much for Darcy to figure out Jackson's game, making her question S.H.I.E.L.D's loyalty to her, and then tell him whatever he wanted to know to save her own skin. It wouldn't work. Clint cared. He told her about his capture, and she knew how difficult it was for him to stop joking and open up to her. Clint cared. She tried to picture him there with her, holding her hand and stroking her hair, maybe it was just the concussion she surely had or the food and sleep deprivation but she could almost hear him whispering comforting words.

"Stay strong Darce, just a little while longer. Stay strong."

"What do you expect? I'm just a complaints girl; I doubt I'm very high on S.H.I.E.L.D's list of priorities." Darcy scoffed, she just needed to stick with the lie, and then maybe he would give up or at least let her live long enough for Clint to rescue her.

"Miss Lewis, I think it's time we stop the lies."

"Alright, I'll tell you the truth." Darcy sucked in a deep breath of air, mentally psyching herself up. "You are the worst host ever." Darcy gave a half-hearted laugh, not wanting to put too much strain on her injured ribs. "Like, seriously terrible." She tilted her head to rest on the back of the chair, it was uncomfortable, the hard metal pushing into her neck, but her head was getting too heavy to hold up any longer. She didn't like her neck being so exposed to his hands but she couldn't keep her eyes open against the harsh light anymore.

Her eye lids drifted shut, she willed them to stay open, but it was like lifting sandbags. One minute, she told herself. She'd rest her eyes for one minute, and then she would be fine. She would open them and be ready for round two, she just needed one minute of rest first.

She vaguely heard Jackson speak to her as she drifted into blissful darkness. Her mind briefly hoping that when she woke up she would be in Clint's arms.

Xxxxxx

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Wow... Lots so stuff happening in that chapter! I hope you all liked it.

Please take a moment to click that big white box and review, I really appreciate them and am still blown away with all your kind words. Thank you.

Let me know what you think!

Charlie


	20. Chapter 20

Breathe

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Belanna, Ashley, AussieMaelstrom, VAgrits82, Risalyn, Lenetra, Kim, Rose and all the Guests who reviewed - Thank you all for the lovely comments, I want to thank you all personally but I have a feeling people would rather just read the next chapter ;-) I really appreciate them and would love to private message you but can't, sorry!

Another huge thank you to my beautiful and amazing Beta, **SleepySandy**. She's just started an AMAZING Loki/Darcy fic that I'm sure you will all love because her Darcy is just brilliant! Check it out, it's called **Hide and Seek** and can be found on ff . net or in my favorites. I hope you all love it as much as I do as the world needs more Darcy centric fics and this one is already starting out to be a good one!

Anyway, I hope you like my new chapter, Lord knows you've all waited long enough!

Xxxxxx

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Chapter 20

She slowly became aware of her body being lifted before she opened her eyes. A weightlessness that caused her stomach to clench and muscles to tense, although she tried to pretend she was still unconscious. Someone strong had hooked their arms under her shoulders and knees and was now carrying her somewhere. Or maybe it was two people? She couldn't really tell at that moment. Darcy heard someone above her muttering frantically.

"Fuck, please don't wake up yet." Whoever it was pleaded. Just one person, Darcy determined. She felt his hand under knees and around her shoulder tighten as she felt unbalanced into his arms. Her head was uncontrollable as it rolled forward then back into his chest. She moaned at the sudden movement and pain that thumped inside her skull, her eyes tried to open but refused against the harsh light. Slowly her mind retraced everything that led to her being here. The kidnapping, the thug that slammed her head into the van floor, the crazed old man that hit her around the face more times than she could care to count. It was official, her head hurt, with good reason. Plus her eyes felt like they were about to implode, and her ribs felt crunchy as she breathed, which could not be a good thing. In fact, the crunchy ribs made her feel sick, so she was adding that to the list of physical problems she was having.

"Oh..." She couldn't suppress the groan as she tried to lift her arm and give herself some kind of balance, only to have it drop down and dangle by her side.

"Shit. Miss Lewis, I need you to hold on for a second okay."

"Clint." She nuzzled her face against the hard chest, only to instantly regret it as the brief contact reignited the burning pain on that side of her face. "Oh..." She whimpered; she felt hot tears form in her eyes, and the familiar dreaded lump bob in her throat.

The man slowly lowered her to sit on something; it was hard and cold against her bare legs. She somehow managed to grip his shoulder to keep herself from toppling off the side of the seat. He took hold of her wrist, and she flinched at the contact, her skin around that area was still raw, and then guided her hand to grip a cold hard surface slightly higher up and to her right. She felt terrible, like that hazy sort of drunk where even sitting still felt like the world was spinning and she was about to topple off the edge.

She opened her eyes slowly and gave a devastated cry, the small sliver of hope she had washed away. She was in a bathroom, a small, grey and white bathroom that looked half finished with just a toilet that she was sitting on, a sink, that she was holding, and a bathtub that still had that plastic factory packing wrapped around the bottom of it.

The man who had carried her was familiar; she gasped as she recognized him as the same young black man around her age that distracted her with Chinese food before she got kidnapped. The tears freely streamed down her face as she realized she was still trapped, being kept hostage by Jackson. Currently swaying like a drunken teenager with the guy who interrupted her love confession. _Jerk_, she decided and narrowed her tired, raw eyes at him. He visibly flinched, and she wondered just how scary or imposing she must have looked on top of a toilet.

She tried to steel herself, building up a protective wall around her so she didn't look weak, but it was taking longer than the previous time, and she felt a lot worse than before. She leaned forward and pressed the side of her face against the sink, finding the cool surface comforting as it soothed her hurt cheek.

"You've got two minutes to sort yourself out, and then I have to take you back." The young man shifted awkwardly from one foot to the other.

"You _have _to take me back?" That was an unusual way of phrasing it. Darcy felt a spark of hope, she'd seen plenty of movies, and this man could be the weak link that could end up fucking up and inadvertently saving her life.

"Orders, ma'am." He turned around, so his back was to her. Darcy shut her eyes for a moment, feeling the hope slip away and deciding to get a few more seconds of relief from the cold surface against her burning face. 'Ma'am', geez, this guy was worse than Steve! How did someone like him end up in a place like this? Darcy wondered, looking around the room for any kind of weapon she could use. Damn, not even a bar of soap or a freakin' towel. She looked down at her heels, and was trying to form a plan in her mind when the young man interrupted her thoughts. "Er... You won't get another chance to... so you should really..." She quirked an eyebrow at his poor choice of words. He didn't finish his sentence, obviously finding the situation too uncomfortable; he had turned his head to check on her and blushed, it didn't help that Darcy's dress had managed to rise up a few more inches from the journey, and now showed more thigh than she liked. She pulled the skirt down hastily and frowned at the back of the young man's head. She couldn't attack him, she didn't have enough strength to lift her own arms, let alone fight someone bigger and stronger and faster than her.

"Yeah, he wouldn't want to kill me with a full bladder, might be messy." She muttered dryly, changing her mind from before and hooking her fingers under the hem of the dress, pulling it up, taking extra care with her tender wrists and trying to not show more skin than necessary.

Darcy sat on the toilet, willing herself to pee but it was completely pointless. She was dehydrated to the point of insanity, and she had a pretty nervous bladder to begin with. Darcy was never the kind of person who chatted with girl friends in the bathroom at restaurants or clubs. She was almost thankful that she hadn't eaten anything since that morning; the idea of peeing was mortifying let alone anything else.

"What time is it?" Darcy couldn't stand the awkwardness any longer.

"3 o'clock." He didn't look at his watch.

"In the morning?" That couldn't be right; it felt like years since she was talking to Clint across the table in that gazebo. That perfect moment.

"In the afternoon. You've been here just under 19 hours." He answered her next question.

"Okay." Darcy tried to process that information. How had S.H.I.E.L.D not found her yet? "He's got me good and hidden, doesn't he?"

No answer.

After a couple more seconds of no bladder movement, Darcy started to pull down her dress and stand up. She twisted the faucets, which caused a jolt of pain to pass through her wrists at the twisting motion. The water was tepid, but felt glorious against her skin. She rubbed as much of the dirt and dried blood away as she could, stretching her fingers as she did to bring back the feelings in them. She dabbed her fragile cut wrist with clean fingers and hissed as she touched her right wrist, it was swollen a lot worse than the other and obviously broken or dislocated. There was no mirror, which Darcy was actually glad about; she could only imagine the state she looked. Her cheek was definitely bruised and probably swollen as well, her makeup must be smudged by the tears, and her lips were probably cracked and bloody. She cupped her now semi-clean hands under the water and raised it to her lips, taking as much as she could into her parched mouth. It was a small blessing, the smooth water felt like heaven as it ran down her throat. After three more generous handfuls, Darcy was beginning to feel human again. She splashed the water over her face and wiped her hands over the battered skin, changing her caveman like priorities from 'need water' to 'need escape'. She needed to think of a plan, and quickly.

"How did you end up working here then?" She asked as casually as she could while bending down to take off her left shoe as quietly as possible. She wobbled a bit and willed her ankle not to give way as she stood up slipped the black high heel off.

The man, whose back was still thankfully turned to her, shifted to his other foot before answering. "Went to prison when I was 18, Mr Norris looked out for me, made sure no one treated me wrong. He got out before me, and when I was strugglin' to find work... He offered me a gig." Darcy slipped off her right shoe and wrapped her fingers tightly around the dips in the middle in each hand and positioned her feet into an attack stance that Natasha taught her when throwing knives, she felt it would probably help in a shoe hitting scenario as well.

"So you get out of prison and this is your fresh start? Doesn't seem that smart to me."

"You don't understand. No one looks at you the same once they find out you're an ex con." The young man's hand slipped around to the back of his head and rubbed the base of his skull in an almost universal sign for discomfort, Darcy had seen Bruce do it enough times that she joked it was his signature move, along with pinching his nose after removing his glasses. "I tried gettin' a normal job, but no one wants to hire someone with a breakin' and enterin' prison sentence to their name."

"So that's how you justify this?" Darcy was feeling more and more confident about attacking him, she drew her right arm back, putting all her weight into the swing.

"You don't understand, I have a family to support, ya know? My brother would be dead if it weren't for Mr Norris." Darcy faltered. It was only for a second but it was enough for the man to turn around and see what she was about to do. He grabbed her, his rough hands squeezing her small wrists until she dropped the shoes as a reflex, letting out a yelp as her only chance fell to the ground with a clatter against the unfinished floor.

"I'm sorry." She whispered hurriedly, playing up the panic she felt with wide eyes. "That was stupid. I'm sorry, please don't hit me." Darcy flinched away from him, for added effect. "I won't do it again. I promise. I'm sorry."

She watched as his brown eyes softened and he lowering her hands slowly. "Come on. Let's get you back before he wondered what's taking us so long."

He twisted Darcy's arms, being oddly delicate compared to a moment ago but never letting go. He used her arms which were now pulled behind her back to guide her and pushed her towards to door. He kicked her abandoned shoes to the side and flushed the toilet before they left, heading back down a half decorated corridor to the room where Darcy assumed she was being kept before.

There were a few windows dotted around, but they were covered in opaque thick plastic sheets so she couldn't get a glimpse of the outside. She was defiantly in a building site, there were empty buckets and various things were covered in sheets to protect them from paint or dust. Great, she could be anywhere! The majority of buildings in New York City were being fixed or renovated after the Chitauri attack a month ago. She wondered if she screamed would anyone hear her, but thought it best not to push the young guy's misplaced kindness any further. She was already planning how she could use his own sympathy for her against him. Maybe she could use the knowledge she had of his family to guilt him into letting her go? Or at least let his guard down so she could make a break for it.

Darcy made the biggest cow eyes she could and looked up at him as he guided her down the halls. "Why is he doing this to me?" She tried to channel weak defenseless women and sniffed slightly. "I don't know what I've done wrong."

"It's not your fault." He seemed grim at the situation as well, but Darcy didn't care. She needed to get some more information and quickly.

"Why me then? I'm no one."

"You're just bait. I'm sure when the guy he wants turns up then he'll let you go."

Darcy quirked an eye brow up at him, he didn't look or sound convinced and his grip on her wrists tensed a fraction too much as he spoke, a tell-tale sign he was lying.

"When who turns up? The Avengers? He keeps talking about some kind of shield? Does he want Captain America or something?" Darcy did a mental fist pump at how realistically dumb she sounded and was about to start mentally writing her acceptance speech for the Oscars when she heard him smirk.

"God, you really have no clue, do you?" He was amused by her naivety.

She shook her head, her brain screaming in pain at the sharp movement.

"This isn't about you or The Avengers, hell, this isn't even really about S.H.I.E.L.D! This is about Mr Norris and the man who took everything away from him and sent him to jail."

Darcy swallowed, hard. Did he mean Clint? No, that didn't make sense but that was her only connection to anyone of worth. No, Jackson was sent to prison fifteen years ago, and Clint was in the circus then, he didn't join S.H.I.E.L.D until a bit later than that.

Fifteen years ago...

Shit.

Darcy blinked and froze in place. It was like someone had thrown a bucket of ice cold water over her back. Every nerve was alerted, and she felt so stupid for not seeing it before. The young man gave her a forceful shove of her hands behind her back so she started walking again, this time with more conviction.

Fifteen years ago! Suddenly things were falling into place at a fast rate and it all made perfect sense. Crazy perfect sense, like she felt insane for even connecting these dots but there was nothing else that explained everything.

Her father.

The way everyone looked at her at HQ, like she was some kind of wonder, like _she _was the superstar, not The Avengers. The secret tests S.H.I.E.L.D put her through, offering her to become an agent when she had no experience like all those other recruits. She wasn't a non-sequitur like them, she already had connections with S.H.I.E.L.D before Thor fell out of the sky, and she just didn't know it! She felt a rush of anger and embarrassment at all the comments about her 'skills', about her only being there because of 'him'. It wasn't Clint that Jamie was referring to, it was her dad. It was mortifying that she'd implied those things but it made her blood run cold that all the new recruits knew more about her past than she did. Was _everyone_ lying to her this whole time?

Darcy schooled her features into a picture of control at the last second because the door they were heading to opened to reveal Jackson Norris. She should be freaking out but for some reason she wasn't, the idea of panicking seemed rather silly to her now.

He was wearing a different suit today, a dark black jacket over an equally dark turtle neck that reminded Darcy of George Clooney in a movie she once saw. Only Jackson certainly wasn't up to Clooney's level of charm, Darcy thought with a chuckle.

Darcy felt confident as the final piece of her brink wall fell into place. She pushed down her head ache, which was continuously getting worse and pulled away from the young guy's hands and strolled into the room like she owned the place, retaking her seat, crossing her arms and legs with more arrogance then was strictly needed, but fuck it! She knew every card in his deck, and she wasn't going to let him forget it.

She didn't know where the smile on her face came from, maybe the bad concussion she probably had that was making her a bit delusional, but she welcomed it, just for Jackson's reaction alone. He looked stunned then narrowed his eyes and dismissed the younger man before shutting and locking the door.

"Miss Lewis, that was quite a nap you took there, I must say, you look much better than expected."

"Mr. Norris," She saw his eyes widen at her knowledge of his surname. "I think it's time we stop the lies." Darcy mirrored his words from earlier, jolting her chin up at him defiantly. "Because you're right, I do work for S.H.I.E.L.D, in fact I'm dating the world's best marksman who _also _works for them. So, if my calculations are correct, although my head is still a little fuzzy so correct me if I'm wrong, I currently have two Gods, one living legend, one billionaire genius with a suit made of weapons, a giant green rage monster and a whole organization of trained spies and assassins looking for me, and they won't stop until they do." Darcy gave him a wicked smile. "But I wouldn't be worried about them, no... Not really... They'll be puppy dogs in comparison..." She mused. "Now tell me," She tilted her head, enunciating every word to get the most impact. "How are you going to defend yourself against my dad?" She asked, her voice filled with curiosity and sickly sweet like honey.

Darcy got to revel in his alarmed expression for a moment before his fist smacked down on her cheekbone once again. There was a click and a stomach-churning rattle as she was met with stars behind her eyes.

Xxxxxx

* * *

"Here." The young man from before placed a tray on the floor in front of Darcy. Her mouth was swollen and one of her left eyelid felt a lot heavier than the other.

"Thanks." She slurred, finding it difficult to speak normally due to the pain in my jaw and cheek, she had already decided at least one of the two was fractured due to the swelling and pain she could feel.

Jackson got fed up of hitting her very quickly and soon tied her hands in front of her with a few cable ties and put her ankles back in the straps that held them down before. Darcy had struggled and fought with him, but she was weaker and once he had pinned one of her legs down, it was pretty easy for him to overpower her. She'd ended their little meeting worse off than when she started, her head now threatened to explode with every pounding it made, her face just felt heavy, and she wanted to curl up and sleep until it all went away. But she couldn't let herself. Darcy kept telling herself that if she slept it would be game over, and all she had to do was hold on for a little bit longer until Clint and the others found her. She had to keep messing with Jackson by being cocky and acting like she wasn't affected by the crippling fear she felt from him, she needed to keep the upper hand, if not physically, then at least mentally. He was bat-shit crazy, and the cracks were starting to show. All the while, she had to befriend this young guy, in case he had a change of heart because of her 'sparkling lovable personality' or let his guard down. Yep, Darcy had several plans on the go, she just needed to ignore the pain and not close her sleepy eyes.

"At least he's letting me eat now." Darcy said, lifting her tied hands up, gesturing to the food and the little bit of freedom she had to move her arms. She looked down at the disposable tray and bent over as much as she could to pick a warm wrapped object. "What is this?" She lifted it to her nose and sniffed before resting the food on her lap and struggling to undo the packaging. Being bound by the wrists was a bitch when it came to small tasks.

"Shawarma. There's a place next door." Darcy couldn't believe it as her eyebrows shot to her hairline for a second, but she quickly controlled her expression to one of disinterest, continuing to pick at the paper.

"Oh. I've never had it before." She told him in a casual manner, looking up at his face for the first time since he entered the room.

"The people that work there are real nice." Darcy felt her gaze soften. She liked this guy, he had that All American Boy vibe about him that she thought was adorable; so she couldn't help but wonder what he'd be like if he was given the right opportunity. Probably working for S.H.I.E.L.D, she pondered dryly. "Here, let me." He must have gotten fed up with her useless attempts to unwrap the hot food and quickly tore away the top half, revealing the soft meat filled wrap, before holding it out for her to take again.

"Thanks." She muttered, deliberating whether she should risk eating it or not. The deliciously greasy and hot smell got the best of her as her stomach reminded her how hungry she was and she took a bite, wincing because of the strain chewing was putting on her broken face. After two bites, she felt sick and couldn't have anymore, she bent over and dumped the barely eaten food back on the tray and picked up the paper cup with the straw. She slowly brought it to her lips, very aware that this young man was watching her every move with sad puppy dog eyes, she played up the pain a bit just to make him feel guiltier than he already looked, in the vain hope he would sympathize enough to let her escape.

She took a long drag from the straw; the cold liquid was heavenly in her mouth which caused her to let out a little moan of relief. Her eyes closed as she pressed the cold side of the cup to the left side of her face. It soothed her inside and out. Darcy was surprised to realize she actually took comfort in those few moments she spent with this young guy, sure she was trying to play on his emotions, but it meant she could look weak and give into the pain, even for a minute or two.

"What's your name?" Darcy asked out of the blue, wanting to distract herself. She always found focusing on other people a good way to divert her thoughts from herself; she tended to over think things in her own head, which certainly wouldn't help her keep cool, calm and collected right now.

"Robert."

A wide smile instantly spread over Darcy's face. "Robert, my man, how old are you?"

"24."

"You're older than me. I'm 23." Darcy rolled her head forward to see Robert trying to hide his shocked expression. She slowly leaned forward and put the cup on the floor where it once was, her stomach clenching at the movement, still unsettled from the food. "Trust me, when I'm not all battered up then I look hot. What do they say? Bruises add ten years?"

The corner of his mouth quirks up slightly, and Darcy's mood lifted slightly, it was almost like being back in college, meeting new people. Darcy loved talking to people, there was no pressure and she was always fascinated by other's lives. For a split second, Darcy almost forgot where she was.

"I don't think anyone says that."

"Pfft, whatever. Hey, I bet I can guess your favorite Power Ranger." Darcy interlaced her fingers, finding it more comfortable with the bonds then how she was holding them before, it now looked like she was praying.

Praying! A thought quickly ran through her mind. She tucked it away to explore later.

"I never watched it."

"Liar, everyone watched Power Rangers." She stuck her tongue out.

"Alright, you got me." Robert lifted his hands in mock surrender. "You won't be able to guess, though."

Darcy laughed lightly and winked. "It's a gift. My awesome yet pretty useless superpower, it only works with fictional Japanese kids TV shows that have been converted to English."

"You gonna guess my favorite Digimon next?"

"Score! Dude, I fucking love Digimon. Unfortunately, my skills only go as far as colored coordinated teenagers in milkshake bars." Robert laughed with her as she began to look him up and down.

He had trainers on, the nice kind, a brand Darcy always saw the proper athletes wearing, they were practical and fashionable, probably quite expensive when he bought them, but they were very worn, the bottoms were scuffed to the point where they didn't grip anymore. His jeans were covered in speckled paint, and the pockets were ripped around the corner edges, as if they had caught on things that pulled them apart. They were thinning around the knees; so the light blue denim was almost translucent white. He wore an off-white t-shirt with a faded band printed Darcy had never heard of on the front, that frustrated her; she usually prided herself in her extensive knowledge of bands and music. Looking closer at the picture of the band, she saw a big similarity between one of the kids and Robert. She deduced that it was probably his brother, and this was a band he played in. She felt her heart swell at his obvious love of his younger sibling.

Darcy lifted her joined fingers up to her chin and rested on them, giving him an over the top look of contemplation as she took all these things into account.

"Zack. You blatantly wanted to be the Black Ranger." She finally said, proud when his reaction was instant.

"Come on! That was easy; he was the only black guy!"

"No, he was always so positive, he never gave up even when it seemed like they had no other option. He was funny and smart and I swear, every episode he had his arm around a girl! You so wanted to be him. I don't blame you, Zack was awesome."

"Thanks." Robert looked uncomfortable for a moment, obviously not used to receiving compliments, and certainly not strange ones like Darcy's. "Racist." He added with a smile.

"Really? You kidnapped me! You have no moral ground to stand on."

"True, Kimberly." He smirked.

"Oh!" Darcy was happy that he was beginning to open up to her, joining in with her jokes and smiling, he was a handsome guy when he smiled. "Now, that one was easy! Of course I wanted to be Kimberly! She was kick ass hot, a crazy good gymnast. Plus she was really sarcastic and got with the super cut guy. Every girl wanted to be the Pink Ranger."

There was a shuffling outside the door and Darcy went tense.

"Don't worry, it's just the other guys, it's late now so Mr Norris won't be back until the morning."

Darcy resisted the urge to roll her eyes, for some bizarre reason, hearing that there were 'other guys' didn't make her feel any better. "Other guys?"

Robert sighed. "I don't know what the boss man is gonna do when that dude he's after turns up, he's got some seriously dark history with him, but Mr. Norris is actually a pretty good guy." Darcy laughed bitterly at his comment. "I know to you that must seem a bit hard to believe, but he hires ex cons that can't find work and pays us and treats us better than anyone else would."

"He's just a regular 24601." Darcy snorted. Robert didn't seem to get her reference, not that she honestly thought he would.

"He lost his daughter and his wife. That man set him for all this illegal stuff that he was no part of and his wife found out and left, taking his daughter with her. The guy then accuses Mr. Norris of kidnapping and killing his wife, and when they stormed the place, they found all this fake evidence. He went to jail, got out last year early. Good behavior." He shrugged at the last part, as if that was proof of how 'genuine' Jackson Norris was. Darcy felt for the young guy, Jackson had fed him these lies and got him to join his cause, little did Robert know that Jackson had admitted to all these crimes to Darcy yesterday, proving how 'genuine' he really was.

"You call this good behavior?" Darcy lifted her bound hands and gave him a pointed look. "I don't know what he's told you, but innocent men don't get revenge like this. Actually, innocent men don't really do the whole revenge thing."

Robert looked pained at her words, and Darcy hoped they were revealing Jackson Norris to be the liar and criminal he truly was, but Jackson had had years of poisoning Robert with lies, Darcy had only had a few minutes to make him see the truth.

They sat in silence for a long time; the smell of shawarma was becoming an increasing overpowering smell in the small, enclosed room to the point where Darcy felt sick again. She twisted against the cable ties, testing how far she could pull on them before they dug in too deep. Her thoughts drifted to Clint, and the scars that marred his wrists. They would match now, she mused cynically, she wondered why they hadn't found her yet. It must have been over 24 hours now and there was still no sign or hint that they were even close.

Clint. Darcy squeezed her eyes shut, blinking back the tears. She missed him. Everything about her ached and she just wanted to crawl into his bed and sleep in his strong, protective arms. But she couldn't. She was beginning to question if she ever would again, Jackson Norris was probably going to kill her soon, once he figured out that Darcy's dad didn't even know she worked for the same organization he used to. Her dad didn't even know she was missing, she'd sent him an email recently, and that usually meant he didn't worry about her for a week or two. Darcy planned on keeping that one as close to her chest as possible, she knew Jackson wouldn't hesitate to kill her once he found out she was useless for his plot of revenge.

Clint would find her. She told herself. Natasha, Jane, Thor wouldn't stop until she was home. Hell, even Tony would pull every resource he had to find her. Darcy wondered when she started thinking of S.H.I.E.L.D HQ as home and no longer like an army base, she gave a sad smile and realized it was the same time she started sleeping in Clint's room every night. God, Darcy was so close to telling him she loved him! She felt tears sting her eyes but knew it was pointless to stress over her feelings now, but the words were halfway out of her mouth before they had been interrupted. She only hoped he knew how much she cared about him before it was too late.

Darcy was slowly accepting that she might not see him again. Never see her friends again. But it wasn't as disheartening as she thought it would be. No, actually, Darcy was feeling very feisty now, wanting to go out with a bang and bring as many people as she could down with her in the process. Her fingers were itching just at the idea.

The shawarma aroma filled her lungs again, and Darcy bent forward, her arms trapped between her legs and upper torso. She felt seriously nauseous.

She heaved, managing to hold the food down. Robert noticed and quickly ran out of the room and returned with one of the discarded building buckets. He got her to slowly sit up and put the bucket in the circle of her arms so she was practically hugging it and went to hold her hair back as her stomach muscles constricted, and the food she just ate was rejected.

"Geez, you don't look good." She heard him take a sharp intake of air, obviously the stink of shawarma wasn't affecting him in the same way, and then again, he wasn't on the brink of unconsciousness or in constant pain.

Darcy had to agree with him though. She felt hot but clammy, most likely from her violent vomiting. She was having a hard time holding her head up as well, it finding a nice resting place on the side of the bucket despite the smell of puke.

She felt Robert press his fingers against her neck but was finding it difficult to focus on anything, her eyes drooping closed with drowsiness.

"Shit, your pulse is really fast." The panic in his voice was clear.

"Just give me a minute." Darcy no longer had to fake the extent of her injuries, right now she felt like death and probably looked worse.

"No, you're in shock. We need to do something."

"Clint. I need Clint." Darcy groaned, the tears from before now streaming down her face. She needed Clint. Why wasn't he there with her? He was here a moment ago, wasn't he? No… That wasn't right. She was getting disorientated and confused and she was pretty sure the room was now spinning. "Please…" She spoke through the snivelling, her nose running. "Clint, where are you?"

"I'm sorry, I can't get him." Robert sounded desperate as his tried to keep her from slumping over in the chair, her leg restraints stopping her from falling out completely.

"Please." She begged. Darcy felt like sobbing, her chest tight, but her breathing was so shallow and quick so felt like she couldn't inhale enough oxygen.

"I'm gonna get you some blankets, you're really shivering." It was only when she felt him pull away from her that she realized how cold she was. This wasn't good. She needed to think, to sort herself out, but her mind felt like a swirling ball of color and sounds. Every time she focused on one color, it flittered away and was replaced with another.

Darcy tried to stand up but couldn't move from her chair. She threw the bucket to the side, not caring about spilling its contents and the mess it made. She bent at the waist and tried her best to curl up in a ball, her hands together in her lap again like she was praying.

Praying!

She thought of it earlier but didn't try. She closed her eyes and pressed her palms together as tightly as she could.

Sometimes Darcy wondered if she believed in God, it was actually something she thought about all the time as a kid. She wanted to believe in something, she just wasn't sure if it was exactly what religions made it out to be. The idea of one all-knowing being planning everything out in advance and having complete control over anyone seemed too easy to be true. Darcy didn't have a problem with other people's religion; it just never seemed to meet up to her expectations.

Darcy had had some bad years, crying in the school bathroom to some 'God' she hoped would make the bullies stop and make everything fine for her only to continue facing the bullies taunts and cruelty with nothing ever changing, it had taught her to not think of God as some kind of magic wizard because he wasn't. He didn't care what shit she went through or how big or small her request might have been. God had given people freewill, which meant he played no part in their lives anymore. Darcy had snorted at her teacher when he had tried to explain that and Darcy guessed that's when she stopped asking God for things he would never give. At the tender age of thirteen, Darcy Lewis knew if she wanted something, then she'd have to make it happen, she'd built up that internal wall and her personality turned snarky towards the bullies. That's when she lost faith.

She still said things like 'oh my god' or 'lord knows...' The former tended to be screamed out mid passion while the latter was often in her own head, but that was it. She hadn't prayed to anyone with real hope since the day Rory Tait threw a football at her head, and God didn't even help her get him detention for it. That little shit didn't even get a warning and all the other kids in the hallway had spent the rest of the week re-enacting Darcy's expression when the ball hit her. It was mortifying, as it would have been to any thirteen year old girl, and that evening her dad spent hours trying to coax what happened with lasagne and old Star Wars movies. She knew that was when she stopped believing in God and learned there was a difference between belief and faith.

Now, however, Darcy had been introduced to a whole new kind of God. Thor and Loki and that Odin guy who was an All-Father or something along those lines, she couldn't help but picture their dad as a weird Santa Clause-esque man but with an eye patch and a gold costume. Thor didn't like it when Darcy made that comment. Anyway, Darcy didn't have much stock in Gods anymore and even with proof that there were people deemed as 'Gods' existing in their universe, they weren't what she was expecting. There was no way she was going to pray to a man who ate a whole box of Pop Tarts then went for breakfast, it would only end in disappointment unless her prayer was about food. So, she decided to pray to the one person she knew might know what she was trying to do.

"Dear Loki." She whispered. "Please Loki, if you can hear me. I'm- I'm not doing so good. I'm hurt; he's _hurting _me, Loki. Jackson Norris is holding me here to get to my dad. Jackson Norris, you need to look him up! Loki, I must be losing my mind if I think praying to you will help, but you're a God so..." Her breathing was returning to normal now, which allowed the warm tears to drop onto her hands. "Umm... I don't know where I am, next to some shawarma place in a building site. I'm sorry. I'm so scared." Darcy gave a huge sniff and felt her lips pull tight against her teeth in an ugly grimace of sobbing. Her voice wavered as she continued, barely above a whisper, but she knew if this worked, then he would be able to hear her. "I'm not sure how much more of him I can take, okay? Please Loki, if you can hear me; please tell Clint I'm sorry. I'm- I'm not strong enough."

When Robert came back, arms full the dirty building sheets, he found her blubbering like a baby in the chair, curled up in the fetal position and whimpering. He slowly wrapped the sheets around her, trying to only let the clean sides touch her posh black dress. He stroked her back and gathered her hair away from her damp face and neck before sitting on the floor, getting as comfortable as possible as he kept a close eye on her.

He ran a hand over his short hair and down his face. He needed to do something, he just didn't know what. He glanced over to the door and sighed, tapping his fist against his mouth as he tried to sort through his options.

After ten minutes of deliberation, he decided on two things. If he got help for Darcy and Mr. Norris found then he would lose his job, maybe even his life depending how hell bent he was on revenge, and then he would have no way of supporting his brother. But if he did nothing, he would keep working for Mr. Norris, get paid so he could support his family, but Darcy would die, could he really live with that?

Looking down at his hands, they were clean. Did he really want to start getting blood on them now?

Xxxxxx

* * *

Loki's hand twitched. He was lying on his bed, a book propped open and resting on his chest, reading about Joan of Arc when his hand gave a slight spasm cause his grip on the pages to falter.

"Fury!" He yelled immediately. Sitting up and spinning on the bed so he could rest his feet on the ground, the book now tossed to the side of the bed as Loki focused intently at his hand and the slight flutter in his mind.

Loki wasn't surprised when Alex, an agent he had been working with came into the room quickly. Loki was about to have his bi-weekly meeting with the young man to discuss the Asgardian tongue and various other forms of communication. "Alex. Darcy Lewis is trying to communicate with me. I can feel her praying to me but cannot hear her from inside this cage." He gave Alex a sharp look as he walked towards the sliding door to his prison, then sighed when the younger man obviously missed his meaning and implication and just stood confused by the entrance door. "Let me out of these walls temporarily so I can listen to whatever she is trying to tell me." He hissed.

Alex's eyes widened comically, like Thor's did whenever Loki played a trick on a palace servant, turning wine into snakes or hypnotizing the guards to sing and dance for his amusement, but this wasn't the time for amusement at others astonishment.

"Hurry! She may not pray for long." Loki barked.

"I- I don't have access." Alex stammered, he brought his hand up to his ear piece and clicked that annoying little button that allowed him to communicate with everyone else who wore one.

Loki rolled his eyes; he didn't have time for this. Slowly, delicately, like he wasn't sure if it would really work, Loki called his magic to the surface and placed his hand on the glass and pushed. He willed his body to move forward as he told the each particle of the thick glass to become intangible as he phased through the barrier onto the other side. He let out a breath of air after his second foot finally stepped out.

Alex stood, frozen in his place as he watched The God of Lies and Mischief escape their apparently inescapable cage. Loki could sense his fear but ignored it.

He tried to listen for Darcy, closing his eyes so he could focus on her words. They were feeble and pathetic but he could hear her. "Norris is holding me here to get to my dad." He began to speak using her voice. Loki was aware of Alex communicating with someone else on his small electronic ear piece as he continued to channel Darcy's prayer. "I don't know where I am, next to some shawarma place in a building site. I'm sorry. I'm so scared. I'm not sure-" Loki couldn't hear the next bit, Darcy's mind must be in a very fragile state for her to be so fuzzy and unclear to him. "Please Loki, if you can hear me; please tell Clint I'm sorry." Her voice vanished from his mind, although he knew she was still talking, she just wasn't praying to him anymore. Loki felt a wave of relief and pride that Darcy was still alive and had figured out that Gods, regardless of whether they were religious Gods or not, could hear prayers. He was only thankful she was smart enough to pray to him, knowing that Thor had blocked the prayers out centuries before, not able to cope with people asking things he couldn't help with had been a particularly painful stress on young Thor, Loki on the other hand had been able to handle the random begging and pleading, often muting the boring requests and only paying mind to the interesting, and Darcy's prayer was certainly that.

"Shit!" Alex rushed over to the door and finally began to follow the protocol he'd be taught by locking the door it in various ways to stop any further attempts Loki might have had.

Loki was behind him in a second, faster than any human. "You have cameras and voice recording in here, correct?"

Alex visibly gulped as he nodded.

"Good, get Fury." Then, as if nothing exceptional had happened, Loki walked over and sat on the chair that his visitors usually used, crossing his legs and placing his hands behind his head. "I know where Miss Lewis is."

Alex watched in horror and shock as Loki smiled a brilliantly insane smile, causing a chill to run up the young man's spine.

Xxxxxx

* * *

There you go! I hope it didn't let any of you down.

Please review, they are not needed but really really appreciated so if you can, take a moment and pop a couple words in the big box below.

Thanks again and the next chapter should be up by the middle of next week.

Charlie


	21. Chapter 21

Breathe

Xxxxxx

* * *

Guest – Sorry for the wait! I'm happy to give you 'more' ;-)

Belanna – Thanks! I hope this chapter doesn't destroy the hope for their relationship.

Rose – I'm glad you liked it. I don't think I've ever had a chapter called epic before lol. Thank you!

Kritters03 – Thanks! I hope you think this chapter is as awesome as the last ;-) Enjoy the update!

Queenc – I agree, Loki is awesome ;-) Can't wait to see what you think about him after this chapter.

Kim – Thank you, I hope this chapter makes you feel happy as well and doesn't disappoint after all those lovely comments. Enjoy!

Xxxxxx

I just wanted to say thanks to Sandra again, she is a brilliant Beta, she sticks with me through all of my crazy and makes this story read-able lol. Everyone, please check out her fics (SleepySandy) her Loki is ten times better than I can ever dream of writing him!

Xxxxxx

* * *

Chapter 21

Darcy tried to give her best glare, but her head was still throbbing to the point of excruciation.

"He's not going to come, you know?" She snarled, her lips once again so dry they cracked whenever she spoke. She knew it was a bad idea to mock a man, who was more than willing to hit her, but she needed to keep some kind of control in this situation and messing with Jackson's head was all she had at the moment. "He doesn't even know that I'm in New York. Even if he did, you've hidden me too well for him to even find me." She laughed. Darcy was sure her words were slurred and blending into one another but she didn't care. She was on the brink of insanity, dehydrated and sick, beyond her ability to cope with pain and still suffering the after effects of a concussion and severe shock. Robert had helped nurse her back to a relatively acceptable point of health overnight with lovely numbing drugs and water, but when Jackson came in the next morning, he was obviously angry and becoming impatient, which he quickly took out on her.

Darcy was actually having a great time, she had fully embraced her psychosis and spent the next few hours quoting people from movies she'd seen and speaking lyrics from any song that got stuck in her head. It wasn't really helping her get out of the situation, but it was doing a great job pissing Jackson off, and she took pleasure in his annoyed words and frustrated expressions.

"On the contrary, your father is incredibly resourceful, and although I've hidden you from The Avengers, William Lewis will know exactly where I am."

"You say that, but last time I checked my dad wasn't Liam Neeson. Although that would be kick ass." She laughed as he backhanded her. Just another wave of pain to get lost in, she told herself. Focus. "You know, you don't have to speak like a Bond villain. Sometimes just a simple 'you're wrong' or something would suffice." Darcy tried to put on the most posh accent she could when emphasizing the last word. "And how do you know The Avengers won't figure this out if my dad could. After all, my dad is just an IT consultant." She didn't even try and sound convinced by her words, it was pretty obvious to everyone that her dad was not who he said he was. Darcy was still trying to figure out the truth, but her mind wasn't at its best at the moment, so betrayal and lies would have to wait.

"Miss Lewis, your father will come here, because this is the same place I killed your mother."

It felt like a bucket of ice was dunked over her head. She was almost certain he had said those words, and it wasn't her mind playing tricks on her, like last night when she imagined Clint trying to teach her how to juggle only to jolt away and find Robert trying to coax her into taking painkillers and drinking some water instead. She had begged Clint to come back for around an hour before she became lucid enough for Robert to explain it was a hallucination. She wanted to cry, but even with the small sips of water Robert was feeding her, she couldn't form any tears.

No, Jackson's words were harsh, and there was no way Darcy could ever think up something as gut wrenching as that. This was not an illusion. Everything he said was the truth.

"My mom died in a car accident." She didn't know she was speaking out loud until Jackson answered.

"Ah, is that the lie he told you?" He seemed to get some kind of thrill out of her confusion. "No, because of William Lewis, I lost my wife and daughter, it seemed only fair to make him suffer like I did." He walked over to her with long, leisurely steps. "And today I get to finish what I started fifteen years ago."

Darcy chocked on a sob. This man had killed her mother! The story he told her about the woman he murdered, that begged and screamed for her life started to replay in Darcy's head. She had no doubt that was her mom.

Oh God! She couldn't breathe. The panic was rising again, not even the big circus tent full of happy, laughing people was helping her stomach twisting and like before she felt that sting of acid from bile in the back of her throat that was becoming a permanent taste in her mouth.

He words sunk in, he wanted to finish the job. Shit, he was going to kill her. Today! She blinked back the tears that had managed to gathered, she wasn't sure if it was from the bitter taste of stomach acid or the fact that the man who killed her mom was currently running his hand over her shoulders, getting ready to kill her next. She felt disgusted, frightened and mad all at the same time.

She was freaking out, and she didn't even have a taser. The only part of her that he hadn't bound or broken yet was her voice, so she decided to use it. Laughing with a bittersweet tang, she opened her mouth and said the first thing that came to her mind.

"Valjean, at last, we see each other plain!" Darcy lowered her voice and tried to do her best male singing impression. Jackson rolled his eyes but stepped away from her, no doubt thinking she was insane because of her intense gaze and random choice of song. Good, she didn't want him or his dirty hands anywhere near her.

Clint would be proud of her odd, but effective way for staying calm, while simultaneously annoying her captor. So would Natasha, Darcy thought with a smirk, although she couldn't picture Black Widow singing her way out of an interrogation.

Jackson left the room after Darcy sung a particularly irritating version Heart's 'Alone', discovering duets from Les Mis didn't really work when only one person was singing. Darcy took the opportunity to attack the cable ties with her teeth, biting the hard plastic until her damaged jaw hurt from overuse, and her teeth had grinded against it until they ached. She dropped her hands back into her lap when she saw the door open again.

"You don't know how long I have waited!" Darcy started to belt out, when she noticed it was Robert. She paused her singing, but he waved his hands for her to continue encouragingly, so she did. "And I was gonna tell you tonight…" She raised her eyebrow up at him as he quietly snuck into the room and stood next to her. "But the secret is still my own." She saw him reach for something in the back of his jeans and place in under her clasped hands in her lap. Whatever it was, it was heavy; she could feel the weight on her thighs. "My love for you is still unknown... Alone."

"I've sent my brother to our aunt's. I'm going to run away." Robert looked sad, his puppy dog eyes were wide, and his forehead was crinkled as he spoke. "I'm sorry I couldn't do more." Darcy swallowed and nodded. She bumped her head against his arm and smiled up at him, mouthing the words 'Thank you' with as much emotion as she could muster.

He put his finger against his lips as if to tell her to keep this a secret, as if she'd really blab about Robert helping her, then he was gone. Hurried out of the room and running away.

"Alone." Darcy drifted off, the lyrics no longer appealing to her.

She glanced up at the door again and then down at her hands. Did she just imagine that? Was she that far gone? No. She lifted her hands and saw a large nasty looking wrench sitting patiently in her lap. God, it was huge! And heavy, Darcy reminded herself. It could do a lot of damage.

She held her hands back to her teeth and began to gnaw at the damned plastic again, this time with renewed purpose.

Come on! She growled to herself. She only had a tiny bit left, but it was getting difficult to grip with her teeth, she could taste blood, and her wrists were dripping with blood from the constant tugging against the plastic. It felt like her efforts were doing nothing. She started to tug and pull her wrists apart with as much strength as she could muster; it was cutting into her skin even deeper. But it's better than the other option she reminded herself.

She tried to think of something else to distract her from the cutting pain and looked over at the closed door. Darcy was glad Robert had gotten out of this place. He was just lost and confused; he deserved a better life than Jackson gave him, claiming it was the young man's only choice. No, Robert was smart and kind, he would do well without that insane bitter man telling him what to do. Yes, if Darcy ever got out of here, then she would have to do something to thank the young man. After a few more minutes, the nibbled area of the tie began to weaken, it thinned and stretched under the strain, enough so she could finally pull her wrists apart, she didn't have any time to waste celebrating as she wrapped her right hand tightly around the hard, cool metal handle of the wrench and lifted it from her lap.

Fuck! She only had a moment before she was faced with the reality that she would have to use this weapon now. Kill or be killed, she mused. The wrench suddenly felt a lot heavier in her hands. Could she really kill him?

No. Was the quick answer.

Even with the knowledge that he killed her mother, kidnapped and having nearly broken her spirit? No. She didn't have it in her to take a life, Darcy decided. She didn't need to kill him, she tried to convince herself. She just needed to hit him hard enough to knock him out and run. It was easy; Darcy started to psych herself up.

But what about the other guys out there? She looked at the shut door, imagining all the possibilities on the other side. In this room, it was one on one, but she had no idea how many men were on the opposite side of that door, willing to do anything to stop her. And unlike Darcy, none of them probably cared if they killed someone or not.

Thanks Robert, would it have killed him to get her a gun or at least even the odds by distracting the other henchmen? Darcy thought as she spun the metal tool over in her hand, getting used to the weight and shape.

Her legs were still tied, she quickly reminded herself, and then undid the buckles that held them in place. She would have to attack as soon as he walked in to door, before he noticed she was free from the chair, she decided. She stood up, feeling dizzy for a second, having to grab the back of the chair with her free hand to stop herself from falling over. She took a deep breath in then stepped closer to the exit, her one chance of escape, planting her feet in a steady and firm stance, she tightened her grip on the smaller end of the weapon and held it high over her right shoulder. Yes, she ran the plan through in her head again.

1 - He would open the door.

2 – She would swing the wrench down onto his head.

3 – She would run. Not taking a second to look back.

Yes, it was easier if she just thought of it like directions. 1, 2 and 3, then she was free. Adrenaline pumped through her veins, making her arms shake slightly with anticipation. She was glad for the rush of chemicals as it masked her previous pain and prepared her to fight then flight, emphasis on the flight part.

The door inched open, and Darcy took a huge breath, readying herself to strike and get out of there.

Jackson was looking down at his watch as he entered the room; so didn't notice Darcy wasn't where he left her until the door was shut behind him, a stroke of luck for her as she brought the wrench down to hit its target.

But he was quick, managing to almost predict what was going to happen next and side step her attack, grabbing her wrists with his bigger hands and squeezed on the fresh cuts. Darcy tried to keep her hold on the wrench firm, but as reflex when he put pressure on her wounds, her fingers twitched and dropped her only chance.

Jackson, obviously enraged by her attempt to escape, pushed her to the ground, which to Darcy's shame, didn't take much effort. Her hand shot out to the side, hoping to grasp the wrench, her finger tips brushed an edge as he leaned down over her. She let out a cry as pain radiated up her body.

"That wasn't very smart, Miss Lewis." He scolded her like a teacher, losing all his control for a second and grabbed her jaw roughly with one hand, pinching her chin and forcing her to look him dead in the eyes. Darcy let out a whimper and tried to shuffle back on her rear, but his legs pinned hers to the hard ground. She was trapped, and he was mad.

He released her jaw with a jolt, making sure to use so much force that her head slammed on the hard ground. Darcy was getting really fed up with the constant head abuse he was giving her as her eyes rolled back in her skull.

"Looks like I'll have to move my plans forward." He muttered, mainly to himself.

Darcy was struggling to focus on his words as his hands came to circle her neck and pressed hard. Her immediate reaction was to gasp for air, but she couldn't inhale thanks to his thumbs cutting off her windpipe. With more urgency than before, her right hand scrambled for the wrench as he strangled her. Tears she didn't even feel building began to flow from the edges of her eyes and stream into her ears.

Oh God! He was killing her the same way he killed her mother. She was panicking, an understanding response given the situation, but it wasn't helping her at all.

Her left hand reached up to claw Jackson's face, trying to dig into his flesh as much as possible as her body tried to violently struggle against him. He barked out in pain at her animal like attack, but his grip never loosened around her throat, choosing to ignore her hands as he applied more pressure and choked the last bit of life out of her.

She was getting light headed now, no blood was getting to her brain, causing her eyes to get blurry, or maybe that was just the tears? The lack of oxygen burned her lungs as they screamed with need, and Darcy was aware that she only had one more shot before she passed out.

Her mind fluttered to Clint, the way he held her after they had sex, his strong arms wrapped around her in the most comforting way. She wished she had longer arms like him, and with one more stretch, she managed to pinch the wrench with two fingers. Pulling it slightly closer, the rest of her hand wrapped around it and lifted it up, bringing it down onto the back of Jackson's head.

He swore and released her neck, Darcy took a huge inhale of air and swung again, not pausing in her attack as she coughed and spluttered.

The second blow knocked Jackson off her and onto the ground next to her, using her free hand, she supported herself as she rolled over and pinned him the same way he pinned her. She knew he was a lot stronger so she had to make this quick and even the odds. She brought the wrench high above her head with both hands then brought it down like an axe.

His skull made a scary loud crunch, and she pushed the sound to the back of her head as his legs stopped struggling.

He was almost unrecognizable, deep colored red poured down and across his face; so it was difficult to tell who he was. Darcy was thankful for that as she turned the wrench diagonally and with a firm hand on either end, began to press it down on his windpipe. She clenched her jaw and using all her upper body strength, she pushed and pushed on the hard metal.

She wanted him dead.

She wanted to kill him.

She wanted to be the cause of his death. She snarled at him and pushed harder. Almost growling at his blood covered face, the blood so thick and dark that it was almost black.

She was rewarded with a sudden loud vulgar pop and another sickening crack. His eyes were wide and Darcy watched as his brown eyes dilated then freeze, looking at nothing in the distance. She pressed down on the wrench once more, checking but with less confidence than before, his glassy eyes giving no reaction anymore.

She clambered off his body quickly and clutched the lifesaving wrench to her chest.

He was dead.

She'd seen the moment when he died, just like he told her. She felt sick; she had watched the life drain from his eyes just like she promised! She stumbled to the door and reached for the handle when she saw it turn before her hand touched it.

Shit! Someone must have heard the struggle and come running, probably with guns. She prepared herself and lifted the wrench like before; very aware that it was slicker with warm blood and harder to hold tightly.

The door pushed open with a bang that would have made Darcy jump if it wasn't for who was standing behind it.

Clint!

Her knees buckled, and she fell to the hard ground with a thud, finally giving into everything. Clint was here. He cared! He was fitted out in his Hawkeye stuff, his bow over his shoulder and across his chest like a rucksack. She could see the ends of arrows poking out from his quiver, but at that moment his weapon of choice was a pretty mean looking gun, he pointed it at her for a fraction of a second before moving it over to the body on the floor to her side as he scanned the room. His face remained impassive, but Darcy could see how his jaw clenched that way it did when he wasn't happy, like when she always used his toothbrush even though she had her own in his bathroom, or when she started comparing him to Katniss Everdeen for a whole day after they watched that movie.

Darcy's arms still held the sticky metal wrench, hugging it to her chest. She didn't have to be strong anymore because Clint was here, she thought with relief. She smiled weakly up at him as he rushed over to her, wrapping his strong arms around her shoulders as he assessed the room. She prayed this wasn't another delusion as she took a deep breath in and smelled that familiar woody spice scent.

"Clint." Darcy gasped and snuggled the unharmed side of her face in the gap between his neck and shoulder.

Then she broke down. Being in his arms, knowing he was real, knowing she was safe with him, she could finally succumb to the raw fear and grief she'd been feeling for the past few days. Her eyes were squeezed shut, not wanting to see the room she was in, and she let out a loud sob. Tears still managing to flow, but she didn't even notice as she cried in pure relief.

Clint was here. She was safe. Despite retelling this in her head, she could still barely breathe, only able to take in huge gasps of air and weep until her lungs were sore, then repeat the action. Clint didn't say anything as he held her steady to his chest, trying to calm her down and soothe her emotions, but Darcy was rocking and shaking in his arms, needing him to pull her closer despite her hurt bones, to hold her tighter as her chest raked with sobs and agony.

After what felt like an hour, Darcy's breathing began to slow and the tears had finally run dry. She opened her eyes, burning and sore from the crying.

"We need to go, Darcy." He whispered and slowly he loosened his arms, and they moved back from each other, preparing to stand.

Red. Her hands were covered in red. They began to shake, and her grip only tightened on the wrench she was still clinging to. Clint's uniform glistened in the harsh light from the crimson liquid that was smeared over the black. She lifted her fisted hands closer to her face, it was a peculiar feeling, they didn't even look or feel like her hands now, like this was just a close up scene in a movie she was watching. The red had washed away any familiarity she used to know, and now they were just the hands of a killer.

Xxxxxx

* * *

Clint had loosened his hold on Darcy long enough to see her wide eyes staring at her fingers, the usual bright blue were filled with terror and astonishment. He looked down at her hands; he hoped his face didn't give away his emotions as he saw the blood. Turning his head back to Darcy, he held each side of her skull firmly and forced her to face him, her eyes lingered on the red, lost in another world at whatever she was thinking.

"Darcy." She was gone; she showed no sign of hearing or acknowledging him. "Darcy, we need to leave now." Her eyes shone with more tears, but she closed them shut. She was whimpering things he couldn't make out, her body began to shake and her breathing was getting shallow and fast again. This wasn't good, she was breaking down again, and he needed to get her out of there, fast.

"Darcy, listen, I'm going to pick you up. We need to leave." He placed an arm around her shoulders and the other under her knees; it was easy to lift her from their position on the floor. Too easy. She'd lost quite a bit of weight in the span of two days, Clint noted. He pushed the bile back down his throat with a hard swallow.

"Hold on, Darcy. Please." He begged. She must have heard him and somehow understood as her arms wrapped around his neck and her body curved into his. Her right hand was still clutching that big wrench, and he could still feel her shaking against him but couldn't worry about that as he turned around.

Clint kicked open the door and ran as fast as he could out of the building, the maze of hallways littered with bodies of the people he killed to get to her. He could still smell the gunpowder and blood and hoped Darcy couldn't. He glanced down; her eyes were still firmly shut. Good, he thought, she was too fragile right now to see the piles of bodies that littered their exit. Clint would have a lot of explaining to do when he got back to S.H.I.E.L.D, even he knew the amount of fatalities was more than they could legitimately cover up.

"Just breathe." He muttered down at her as his legs carried them both out of the building. "Come on, Darcy. Just focus on your breathing." He could feel her chest rise and fall, taking small shallow, but steady breaths. She was shaking and her lips had a worrying blue tinge to them, yet she was covered in sweat. This wasn't good; everything Clint knew screamed out that she needed to get medical attention, and soon.

As soon as he reached the barricaded entrance he spotted his partner on the other side of the parking lot, looming over a man who was curled up on the ground.

"Loki!" Clint called out to him.

"Loki?" Darcy stirred, obviously confused at why Clint was yelling the God's name.

"Agent Barton." Loki appeared in front of him the next second, surround in a slight green mist. He was dressed in his Asgardian armour except without that helmet thing he thought was a good look.

"Agent Barton." Darcy muttered, obviously content as she snuggled closer to his chest. If it were any other circumstance, then Clint would have smirked at her, but he couldn't, it felt like he couldn't smile until she was safe at home with him.

"Let's get out of here." Clint tried to keep his voice calm, but it was a strain not to freak out right now.

"No," Darcy moaned from his arms, reaching her left hand out to point at nothing but the empty parking lot. "My shoes." Both men's eyes flickered down to her bare feet then back to each other. Loki raised an eyebrow at Clint, a slight smirk gracing the corners of his mouth. Clint could only growl before rolling his eyes.

"Fuck the shoes, Darcy. I'll get you more shoes."

"But-" Her eyes were still closed and her head rolled forward, outside in the light, he could see how pale she was. "My shoes." Her mouth was turned down into a frown, and there was that wrinkle he loved between her eyebrows.

They didn't have time for this! "Teleport us, now!" Clint barked at Loki. The God raised his hand and placed it on his shoulder, closing his eyes for a fraction of a second, and then they were on the helicopter that had been circling above them.

Clint nearly stumbled back at the disorientation, and Loki didn't look too hot after the transportation either. He managed to lay Darcy on the cot that the doctors had set up before allowing his guard down just a fraction to let the professional touch her.

Darcy was safe. She was back with him, severely hurt, but the doctors would sort that out and Saint Anna was back at base, ready and waiting to heal Darcy of any life threatening injuries as soon as they landed.

He watched as various people moved around, handing each other things, telling each other orders and giving advice. Clint dropped his face into his palms. Both were damp with sweat and blood, a familiar feeling, but this was worse than any time before, this was all his fault.

Darcy was safe. He kept telling himself. But she was broken. Her face was black with bruises and the whole left side was swollen to the point that he almost couldn't tell it was that young, carefree woman he fell in love with. He only dreaded to think how much pain her injuries were causing her. When he lifted her he felt her ribs move and crunch under his arms, she probably had fractured a few, and her neck had dark red marks that looked uncannily like hands. She had been strangled, his chest felt tight at the thought. And her wrists… Tears burned in his eyes. She had been restrained, and judging from the angry cuts, she had struggled. He wanted to feel proud of her for not giving up, but it felt wrong.

She had killed that man. Jackson Norris, Clint sneered at the name. His Darcy had killed someone. And it was his fault; she never would have been in this situation if he'd just told her everything from the start. He looked over at Darcy's limp form as one of the doctors pushed a needle into her arm, sending her into unconsciousness, he wasn't sure how Darcy would cope with the knowledge she had taken a life. She was so young, granted, she was older than him when he first killed someone, but he had been given extensive training beforehand. Darcy had just been thrown into this, pushed to breaking point until she finally took matters into her own desperate, scared hands.

Clint reached down and picked up the wrench that lay discarded on the metal floor. He turned it over in his hands, feeling its weight and shape. He remembered the way she had held onto it for dear life, even after she realized it was him and not one of Norris' men. She must have been so scared to cause that level of panic.

"She knows." Loki had sat down beside him.

"Of course she knows." Clint laughed at how ludicrous this situation was.

"She will be fine."

"You don't know that." The wrench felt heavier in his hands. He threw it away from him with more force than necessary, causing people to jump and turn in shock at the unexpected noise as it hit the opposite wall and fell to the floor again.

"Give it time, Darcy was built strong."

"By him." Clint spat the words out.

"By him." Loki agreed.

Clint changed his mind. This was all William Lewis' fault; if he hadn't been involved in S.H.I.E.L.D then none of this would have happened. Darcy's mom never would have been killed by Jackson and Darcy would have grown up, living a normal, non-subliminal trained life. She wouldn't be so fiercely independent or strong willed and certainly wouldn't have taken a random internship in the middle of New Mexico just because someone bet her she couldn't get it. She wouldn't have been involved when Thor crashed into Earth or again when they fought in New York. Jackson would never have kidnapped her because she wouldn't be living in New York, so close to his business, so easy to find. Clint never would have met her all those years ago when her dad took her to the circus to cheer her up after her mom was murdered. He never would have met her, and she would be safe. He never would have met her. He felt selfish that his train of thoughts always led back to his feelings for Darcy and not what was best for her.

"I should have told her." Clint finally spoke, deciding to blame himself again and not her father, after all, if he had just been honest than they could have protected her better. "I should have told her everything and never let her out of my sight." He wiped the back of his hand over his forehead and let it thud back on the interior wall of the helicopter.

"Your musings are pointless. She is here now, isn't that what matters?" Loki asked, sounding more human than Clint thought possible.

"You're right. Thank you." Clint gave Loki a pat on the back, it was unnecessary, and Loki looked more confused at the action than satisfied like Clint was going for. He hated himself for actually liking the taller man, his feelings used to be so black and white before… before Darcy; he contemplated with a dry sense of humor. Clint was a good guy, Loki was a bad one. Loki brainwashed him and used him as a puppet in some fucked up show, when he regained his free will Clint began to torture himself over all the lives he had taken because of this bad man. Then he met Darcy, and she blurred all the edges. She made Clint forgive himself about the bad things he'd done because he was there for her, he had saved her. Then she had also then befriended the man who had hypnotized him. He remembered asking himself how someone so intelligent and good could do something so stupid and wrong like make friends with Loki. Obviously Clint now saw the faith Darcy had in The God of Lies was deserved, but still… Darcy made him feel like a better and worse man at the same time. It was infuriating and addictive all at once, and he was happy to live like that until…

Clint glared over as one of the doctors as they cut open the dress Darcy was wearing. The woman gasped quietly then half covered her in a blanket quickly but left her top chest bare, only her bra stopping her from being completely naked. Clint felt rage burn through his blood when he noticed what the female doctor was trying to hide, Darcy wasn't wearing any underwear. Rage burned in his veins.

Her side was covered in my purple and black marks, and the woman ran her hands over them, tapping certain places and determined out loud that there weren't any signs of serious internal bleeding but Darcy had a fractured her 7th and 8th rib on her left side. The female doctor whispered to another one, it was so low that Clint couldn't hear, but Loki stiffened next to him. He guessed being a God also came with super hearing.

"They're ordering a rape kit." Clint guessed knowingly, his expression crumbled into one of grief as his head fell back into his hands after he spoke the words aloud, Loki's slow nod only confirmed Clint's assumption. If Darcy hadn't already killed Jackson, then he would do so. Painfully, slowly and in the most inventive way imaginable. Through his fingers Clint could see Loki's handled clenched into tight fists, and by the look on his face when Clint finally wiped away the tears and lifted his head, Clint guessed he was thinking the same as him, he felt a wave of respect and fondness for the insane God. Darcy would be proud of him, he was making friends with her pet project, Clint mused and they sat in silence the rest of the flight back to base, ignoring the huge implication of how broken Darcy might be after all this.

Before the wheels even touched the helipad, the doors had opened and the various doctors were pushing Darcy out in that cot. Clint wanted to be next to her but had to restrain himself from running over and holding her in his arms again. He had other things to deal with. When Loki's feet touched the ground there were six guards instantly surrounding him and escorting him to a debriefing room with Clint.

Fury was waiting patiently on one side of the table with Phil Coulson and Maria Hill, all ready with questions and S.H.I.E.L.D protocol interrogation forms. As soon as he sat down, Clint wished he was a million other places but there.

"Start from the moment you teleported out of the helicopter." Fury demanded. Loki and Clint gave each other small sideways glances as they began to explain everything that happened in the ten minutes they were gone. Although Clint knew they had footage and sound from both of them thanks to their ear pieces.

It was almost comical watching each agent's expression go up the scale of shock and awe. "With a wrench?" Coulson spoke when Clint finished talking.

"How did she get a wrench?" Maria asked, puzzled, her face full of regret for the younger woman.

Clint shrugged, hoping it disguised the shiver that had run down his spine at the mental image that maybe Jackson had used the wrench on her first.

"She's resourceful." Loki contributed; he raised his cuffed hands in mock innocence after various people shot glares at him.

"She was severely dehydrated and suffering a concussion." Maria elaborated, clearly not convinced that Darcy could be _that_ resourceful in her bad condition.

"William would be proud." Coulson said, earning him a glare from everyone at his inappropriate comment. "He would!"

Someone knocked on the door and Clint recognized it to be one of the nurses from the medical bay, she scurried in, handed Fury a folder then quickly turned to leave, giving Loki a small glance of fear and curiosity as she went. Loki smirked and mouthed a kiss at her; she gave a small yelp and hurried out in double time. Clint rolled his eyes at the mad man's actions; did he seriously do these things just to rub people up the wrong way?

"Darcy is in surgery. There are no lasting physical injuries as of yet." The psychological injuries were left unspoken as Fury turned the folder around and pushed it towards Clint on the smooth surface of the table.

He grabbed it, eyes scanning every word, every observation and every result. He let out a heavy sigh of relief when he came across the negative results of the rape test. At least that was one less worry off his chest. He wasn't sure if he could ever forgive himself if Jackson had… Clint tried not to think about it, he told himself to keep reading. He frowned at the other things mentioned, the surgery to fix a broken zygomatic bone, which Clint wouldn't have known meant cheekbone if it wasn't for the diagram next to that sentence. They had put a temporary support brace on her wrists, due to stress on her scaphoids and to cover her wounds. They already had her on various medicines and IV drips to rehydrate her, and they patched up several cuts on her skull and were going to keep a close eye on her cognitive functions to see if there were any long term side effects from a concussion. Apparently there were multiple signs of blows to her head, one part of the doctors' notes even described how she should have been unconscious, even in a coma, for a long time before Clint and Loki found her.

Clint rubbed the lines on his forehead in anxiety, these weren't the worse injuries that could have happened considering what she had been through, but it cemented it all. That she had really be kidnapped and beaten by this man and God knows who else. If it wasn't for her delusional mind praying to Loki than they wouldn't have a clue of where she was and she would still be there.

"Agent Barton," Fury must have taken sympathy on the young man. "You are dismissed." Clint stood up robotically.

"Thank you." He thanked Loki one last time then expressed gratitude to his superiors before exiting the room. "Sirs, Ma'am." He nodded at Fury, Coulson and Hill. He didn't even let the door fully close as he ran to the nearest lift.

He stood in the elevator and jabbed the button labelled 8, where he knew she'd be and glared impatiently as the doors closed too slowly for his comfort.

As soon as the doors slid open again, he saw Natasha on the other side of them. "Second room to the left. She got out of surgery ten minutes ago." She answered the question before Clint even opened his mouth. Following her directions, he soon found himself standing outside the dreaded metal hospital room that he hated with a passion. His hand hovered over the door handle, trying to compose himself and raise his shoulders a little higher, taking a deep breath before entering.

Her skin looked as pale as the sheets she was covered in, a stark contrast from the dark circles under her eyes and heavy bruises that covered her face in various places. He inched closer, his footsteps silent in the room, it wasn't until he reached out to stroke the back of her hand that her eyes fluttered open to see him. She gasped and flinched, even when she saw it was him, her muscles took a while to relax. Her whole left cheek was covered in a bandage and the bruising around it had only gotten worse, not that he thought it was possible.

Her bloodshot eyes flickered between his, searching for something he didn't know until she finally turned her hand over and used the tips of her fingers that she could move to caress his.

"Stay with me." She spoke after what felt like an eternity of staring.

Clint nodded, his mouth suddenly dry. He slowly undid his Kevlar vest and pulled it over his head to reveal a tight black t-shirt, then proceeded to unbuckle his boots and kick them off beside the bed. Darcy scooted to the edge of the mattress, it was only meant for one person, but the barriers on either side would stop either of them falling out. She lifted the covers, an invitation, and he carefully got in with her. He froze at first when he leaned on the springs and she winced, the movement causing discomfort for one of her various injuries. She gave him a weak smile, encouraging him to still get in the bed.

He wrapped one arm under her head and the other rested on his stomach. Darcy lay still next to him, neither of them relaxed or contented like usual. Clint sighed lightly as how awkward this felt, it wasn't right. He turned his head away from the grey ceiling to look at her.

"Darcy-"

"I killed him." She interrupted him, her eyes fixed on the ceiling. Her words a whisper filled with repulsion. Clint nodded but didn't speak. "I didn't have to." She admitted, Clint kept looking at her profile, keeping his emotions in check as she confessed. Her eyes closed for a second and a tear leaked out the edge, he traced the route it took with his eyes, down the side of her face and into her dark messy hair.

When she opened her eyes again, Clint was stunned at how cold they were; the usually bright blue that reminded him of a sunny sky, now were the color of ice.

"I wanted to kill him." Her tone was fierce, not wavering at all despite the pain and trauma she was going through. Dread filled Clint from head to toe. Clint had seen this transformation before and didn't like it.

"Shh…" His free hand reached up and stroked her hair. Darcy turned her body into his and rested her face into his chest. "Go to sleep. We can talk later." He convinced himself that he wanted her to sleep, that they shouldn't talk now because she needed the rest, she was still drugged but honestly, he just didn't want to hear her speak like that. His Darcy had wanted to kill Jackson. His chest tightened at how desperate she must have been to drive her to that.

She nodded into his side and he watched as her breathing slowed and became more even. He looked away from her sleeping form and back up to the ceiling he had grown to hate, and quickly got lost in his own thoughts. He wished this ceiling had some glow in the dark stars like his room, they always helped him relax before.

A slight moan hours later caused Clint to turn back to Darcy, her forehead with scrunched up in distress and her mouth was set in a firm frown.

"No…" She breathed. Clint began to stroke her hair again; it had an instantly calming effect on her and her face relaxed.

"It's okay." He told her, his voice hushed so not to wake her. "I'm here, Darcy. I'm never going to let you go again." He kissed the hair on the top of her head. "I love you so much, I'm never letting go, okay? I'm here. I'm here." He repeated. His soft mantra and having Darcy in his arms again soothed him into sleep that he had been denying the past two nights.

Darcy felt the moment he fell asleep. His arms drooped away from her hair, and he made the small snore she had grown to adore. She opened her eyes and bit her top lip as she processed the new information.

He loved her.

He had just said it. He knew everything that had happened, and he still said it. What was wrong with him?

She was a killer, and he loved her. She couldn't stop the expression of disgust that spread over her face.

Xxxxxx

* * *

So, please don't hate me! *hides behind my bed*

Reviews are great so if you want to take a moment and give me some feedback, then please do!

Next chapter should be up by the end of this week/beginning of next, I promise. Only 3 more left til the end now!

Thanks for reading,

Charlie


	22. Chapter 22

Breathe

Xxxxxx

* * *

First of, sorry for the delay! Unfortunately life always seems to get in the way and things like this take a back burner. I'm so sorry to make you all wait, but I hope you like this chapter and I promise the next will be up sooner than this one.

Harpiebird, Belanna, Risalyn – Thank you for your reviews, I'm just sorry I couldn't thank you personally, but they are amazing and I hope you enjoy this next chapter! I can't wait to hear what you all think of where this is heading.

Lastly, only 2 chapters left after this one! I can't believe how far this has come and I wanted to just take a moment to thank every one of you, not just the people who follow or favourite this fic, but every one who takes time out of their day to read it! You are what makes this story and community so great and thank you for welcoming me into it and supporting me in so many different ways while I wrote this story.

Soppy moment over.

Big shout out to my Beta and friend SleepySandy. Thank you! Seriously guys, check out her fic, she can write a mean Loki and I think knows more about his character than Tom Hiddleston does and that's saying something! It's in my list of favourite stories on my profile if you want to read it.

Xxxxxx

* * *

Chapter 22

"Here we are!" Jane called out cheerily as she opened the door to hers and Darcy's apartment. It felt like a lifetime since she had stepped foot in it. In reality, it had only been four days, two while she was in the capture of Jackson and two being held in that damn room on the hospital floor; she didn't know which of the two were worse. Well, that was a lie, but Darcy made the joke often to various people, and it made them feel more comfortable.

"Really, you didn't have to carry my stuff." Darcy told the older yet smaller woman.

The next morning when Darcy woke up in the hospital bed, she had snuck out of Clint's arms and hid in the bathroom until he was ordered to leave by a doctor that was coming to check up on her. Darcy felt ashamed that she couldn't face him conscious, but when he called through the closed door, his worry and alarm clear in his voice, Darcy had faked a chirpy tone and said she fine and just struggling with some of her bandages and that she'd be out in a minute. She promised to see him later, which he begrudgingly accepted and left, all the while, she was looking at her gaunt face and dark eyes in the mirror. Liar.

After a moment, Darcy peered around the door and gave an unconvincing smile to her doctor as she checked the stitches on her face and some of the worst bruises on her body. Her doctor, Dr Hale, then went over a few things and informed her that a psychiatrist would be coming by later. Darcy rolled her eyes but agreed with the older woman, she had more degrees than Darcy did so she chose not to argue, plus S.H.I.E.L.D had probably made it so Darcy didn't have a choice in the matter anyway. She wasn't discharged until the next day after they were certain her head was alright, both physically from the concussion and mentally from the... well, Darcy was trying not to think too much about that.

"Nonsense!" Jane told her as she placed the small bag that held a few things, she had brought them to Darcy the other day so her confinement seemed less maddening, some change of clothes, her laptop, her iPod. "You have like three things and I know your ribs must be killing you-" Jane stumbled over her own feet as she stopped talking. Darcy could see the way her face changed after she mentioned killing. Everyone knew what Darcy had done, everyone knew what she was capable of and no one would look at her or treat her the same way ever again.

Murderer. Killer. _Slaughterer._

Her lips formed a tight line as she pushed down on her thoughts, tucking them back behind the wall she had built.

"Umm… How are your cuts?"

"'Healing nicely'." She quoted her doctors exact words from earlier. "Won't be long before I'm a hundred percent back to normal, three or four weeks, according to Dr Hale. Hey, how's Thor? I haven't seen him in a while." Darcy didn't want to talk about herself anymore, and she was curious about Thor's lack of visiting her, although it seemed like all she had done in the past two days was talk about her and she was fed up with lying about how 'okay, no, really I'm fine' she was. The truth was so much uglier, and she didn't want to drag them down with it, with her.

Jane beamed as she walked to the kitchen. "He's great! Coffee?" Darcy nodded. "He's been spending a lot of time with Loki; I think there's a lot of progress between them. He's really happy about it."

"Are you?" Darcy asked pointedly before she could stop herself. She saw Jane's hand freeze, hovering in the air as she reached for a mug. "Sorry."

"No, you're right. I still don't trust Loki, but he's building bridges and that's a start."

"Nothing like rescuing a damsel in distress that you tried to kill the year before with an Asgardian Destroyer to restore your image." Darcy joked, and Jane gave a small chuckle. Wow, Jane must be feeling pretty guilty if she was indulging Darcy with a laugh at a joke that she would usually get scolded for. Darcy's smile was a little bit more forced as she frowned internally, walking over to the sofa and seating down carefully so not to strain her ribs.

Jane came over a moment later with two cups of the weakest coffee Darcy had ever seen. She knew not to trust Jane with stuff like this, but she wanted to indulge her, she was feeling terrible about what happened after all.

"What's this?" Jane dropped the offending object onto the coffee table next to her cup.

"Director Fury's eye patch. What else would it be?" Darcy snorted.

"I know that! Why- why was it in your bag?" Jane was a nice mixture of shocked and appalled that made her cheeks flush red.

"He visited me in the hospital yesterday to go over the debrief, and I asked if I could borrow it." Darcy said with a shrug. Jane didn't look happy at that answer so Darcy elaborated. "It's a new recruit thing with the agents, I've already been kidnapped on my first week in training, so I needed something or the other newbies would make fun of me."She sounded like a teenager, worried about her first day back at school after something embarrassing had happened, but that's essentially what had happened.

"Are you seriously going back to train as an agent after this?" She didn't sound impressed.

"Why not? I survived this, and apparently I've been conditioned all my life to become some self-sufficient person by daddy dearest, why give up now?" Darcy blew on the hot liquid in her cup and avoided Jane's worried stare.

Everyone it seems had now been informed of the identity of Darcy's dad and the history he had with S.H.I.E.L.D, which meant everyone walked around her like they were on egg shells, waiting for her to freak out or something. Darcy took a sip of the comfortingly sweet coffee and visibly relaxed; she wasn't going to give them the satisfaction of a breakdown, no, Darcy was queen at repressed memories apparently, and she was putting that skill into good use now.

"You can always come back and work for me." Jane offered, sincerely. Darcy had no doubt that Jane wouldn't mind if she went back to her glorified stapling monkey job but Darcy would.

"We both know that the people S.H.I.E.L.D have working for you now are a million times better that I was."

"I know, but I miss you. They're all so..."

"Uptight? Boring? Not me?" Darcy tried to guess the right one.

"Exactly." Jane admitted and both girls laughed.

After a few moments of semi-comfortable silence, Darcy flicked on the TV and put on the local news channel and turned the volume up slightly, she caught sights of Jane squirming in her chair, obviously thinking of something that that made her feel awkward, and it didn't take a genius to know the scientist was itching to ask questions.

Darcy put her mug on the coffee table and picked up Fury's eye patch, letting her fingers run over its oddly soft smooth surface. She slowly crossed her legs under her body on the sofa, being careful to not put pressure on the cuts on her ankles.

"You can ask me, if you want. Don't feel like its taboo or anything, it happened, I'm over it, just ask, you know?" She knew she was rambling, but it was better than watching Jane shift and open her mouth as if to speak only to shut it and look away from her, ashamed.

"Why... Why didn't you let that woman heal you?"

Ah, that's what was bugging Jane. Darcy sighed and tucked her arms around her sore ribs. "I dunno. It felt like... I don't like the idea of cheating."

"But you're hurt. Even now, you're still in pain, those drugs aren't enough. If I had the chance to take that away, I would."

Darcy's fingers twitched, she wanted to pick at the bandages wrapped around her ribs as they were beginning to feel too tight but she restrained herself, knowing that they had to stay in place so they would heal correctly.

"It's not that bad." She lied, her face throbbed and she was struggling to do simple things like get dressed without hissing in pain every time she turned her wrists or bent over too far. Honestly, Darcy wanted the pain. She wanted the scars and the broken bones because they grounded her. They gave her something to focus on when she drifted off into that bad place filled with guilt and death. She needed them to remind her that it was kill or be killed and she had no choice. Darcy felt empty inside, completely drained of her spirit and any positivity that she usually channelled, the wounds just helped her from feeling completely vacant, without any marks as evidence to keep her feeling alive, Darcy would have stayed in that hospital bed and given up a long time ago.

Jane gave the younger woman an unbelieving glare but didn't push it any further, which Darcy was grateful for. "Plus, I get out of agent training for a couple of weeks, which gives me time to scrap up on S.H.I.E.L.D history, I need to really learn more considering I'm alumni an' all."

Jane squirmed again and Darcy couldn't stop rolling her eyes at the older woman's clear discomfort around her and that subject.

"Just ask me already!" Darcy all but barked at her, she felt immediately guilty when Jane's face fell. "Sorry. They said the drugs would make me mouthier." Darcy waved her arm in front of her, feeling sheepish, trying to defuse the awkwardness.

"About your dad..."

"I emailed him the other day, to let him know I was okay, that was before..." Darcy let her sentence drift off. "Fury told me that they didn't contact him, which is good, no one wanted him storming the gates all pissed and worried unless it was necessary." Darcy understand that, she really did, after all she didn't want her dad to be stressed or disturbed now that it's all over and she was fine. But she couldn't help but feel it was S.H.E.I.L.D trying to keep the whole thing a secret, like a child kidding the remains of a broken vase so their parent wouldn't yell at them. Darcy frowned. She didn't want her dad here anyway, so she was willing to go along with Fury's logic. She didn't want her dad to see her like... this. Cut up, bruised and broken. All fake bright smiles but no life in her eyes. He would know instantly that she wasn't fine. He knew her better than that but Darcy wanted to just keep lying to everyone, even herself, so yes, the further away he was, the better, she mused.

"Aren't you curious?" Jane obviously was, probably enough for both of them, Darcy mused.

Was she curious? Between Jackson and Fury, Darcy had found out everything she needed to know about her father's secret life and the conspiracy of her mother's murder. Did she really want to face her dad after that and ask for more? Nope. Darcy was happy pretending she knew nothing and leaving it at that,

'Hey Daddy, so you busted some terrorist, and he went mental and killed Mom; so you quit your job, then fifteen years later he tried to kill me to get revenge on you... by the way, thanks for lying to me all my life and secretly training me to be an assassin just in case during my childhood laser tag games!' Christmases and birthdays would be a hell of a lot easier without _that_ conversation, thank you very much! She wanted to say that out loud but when for something more carefree instead.

"Meh, my dad was a legend, what more do I need?" Jane looked at her, stunned, her jaw slack with disbelief. "I'm going to try and have a shower, get that hospital smell off me. I need to keep my bandages dry, so it might take me awhile." Darcy finally gave up, chucking the remote control on the chair as she stood up; she didn't really want to talk anymore and needed to wash the feeling of hospital out of her skin.

"Okay." Darcy could tell Jane wasn't comfortable with her leaving or her light-hearted attitude to the whole situation but Darcy was trying to get her life as close to normal as possible and her roommate was just going to have to play along.

After ten minutes of carefully taking off her clothes, unwrapping the gauze from her lower chest and the braces from her wrist, she was supposed to keep them on, but Darcy was pretty sure she smelled like shit and could survive without them for five minutes while she had a quick clean. She stepped under the streaming water, not getting any relief as the warm liquid ran over her shoulders. She avoided putting her head under the shower stream because of her stitches, which meant another few days of greasy hair, she thought bitterly when Dr Hale told her, so instead rested it against the tiles, letting her eyes droop closed and her mind wonder.

After a few minutes of listening to the steady flow of water, Darcy felt a little better and slightly more human. Although, she needed to clean her hands. They were still dirty. Darcy reached for the luffa and lathered it in shower gel before running her hands over its surface. She could still feel the red sticky substance under her nails as she rubbed them against the coarse material under the water stream. Every time she rinsed her hands of the lather, she saw more red had seeped from her finger tips and traced tell tale lines of guilt down her palms. Darcy let out a cry of shame as she scrubbed harder, sobbing at the never-ending blood she was covered in. She pressed her back further into the shower tiles, sinking down to the bottom and sitting on the floor, not caring as the temperature of the water got colder and colder.

"Get off!" She cried, not knowing it the water on her face was from the spray or her tears. "Please..." Begging the water to wash it all away. Darcy could feel her ribs ache as she sobbed, the red was gushing now and Darcy couldn't stop it. "_Please..._"

"Darcy!"

She was faintly aware of someone banging on the door, but she couldn't slow her breathing enough to respond. There was a bang as someone crashed through the door and quickly came over to her, turning off the water hastily and wrapping her in a soft warm towel.

"Darcy, look at me." She kept her eyes glued to her hands, shaking in front of her.

"The blood."

"Darcy, there's no blood." The soothing voice tried to explain. Darcy looked up at the owner in shock, how could they not see all this red? Were they blind? She filled with dread when she saw it was Clint staring at her, worried in his deep green eyes. Oh God, why did it have to be him? She'd effectively managed to avoid him the past two days and now he was crouching in front of her, witnessing her sin. She felt mortified and ashamed all over again.

"It... It's everywhere." She pushed him away with her elbow, not wanting to stain his black shirt with the blood.

"Okay, let's get it off then. Wash it all away." Clint helped her stand, her legs shaking; so he wrapped his arms around her, supporting her and keeping the towel in place as she stepped over the ledge. He guided her over to the sink, and positioned her in between his arms so her back was to his chest. He popped the plug in and ran both taps until it was filled to the brim with warm water. "There we go." He directed her hands into the sink and used one hand to slowly brush over her skin while the other kept her pressed into his chest and the towel in place around her. It was soft and caring and better than she deserved. She stared down at their entangled fingers and watched the red disappear as if it had never been there in the first place. Her heart melted and her breathing became controllable and she was suddenly very aware of his hard body pressed against hers. "There, all gone." He whispered into her hair, nestling his nose into the space just below her jaw and above her neck, leaving a trail of delicate but firm kisses along the flesh.

Darcy turned around cautiously. Her little freak out officially over, she looked up at the man who loved her and lifted her hands to cup either side of his face.

"You love me." She searched his eyes.

Clint's eyes widened briefly then softened, surprised by her knowledge of his feelings. "I love you." He confirmed, cautiously but firmly, unsure of where she was going with this.

"You love me." She smiled, trying to be seductive but still dazed by everything that had just happened.

Darcy followed her hands and reached up to kiss him, it was lethargic and slow at first, just needing to test the feel of his lips against hers as she stepped closer to him. Clint groaned into her mouth and carefully placed a hand on each of her shoulders, unsure of where to touch her that wouldn't cause her pain or to push her away.

"Wait." He pushed her back slightly, so the small of her back brushed the edge of the sink and no part of their bodies, except their hands on each other, were touching. "This isn't right."

Darcy narrowed her eyes at him, pulling her palms away from his stubbly jaw angrily, crossing them over her chest, not even wincing at the pain it cause at the sudden pressure. Who was he to tell her what was right or wrong? She wanted him, and he was denying her. She needed his touch and he was refusing her! It was enough proof that he _didn't_, in fact, love her like he claimed and was repulsed by her and her body because of the sins she had committed. She knew the second she tried to be intimate he would realise how disgraceful it was to love a murderer.

"But you love me." She repeated, her tone somewhere between angry, desperation and hopefulness. She needed him to love her, needed him to want her despite her repulsive actions. It was disgusting to think he could love a killer, but she needed him to throw away his morals and kiss her, she needed him to still accept her on a psychical level at least.

The word need was running through her head, over and over, she needed him, she needed this. She felt almost animalistic and possessive in her hunt for his affection. Darcy was not about to let him reject her. She could handle being a killer and being lied to and being in pain, but she could not handle him saying no to her body. That would be the final straw and she wasn't going to give him that kind of power.

Clint gave a heavy sigh, a hint of a sad smile formed in the corner of his mouth as he nodded. "I do, Darce, God I love you so much, but right now you're not thinking straight."

He was right, her mind was a mess right now, but it didn't matter. Clint was standing in front of her and she _needed_ him more than she could ever remember.

"You love me." She told him, her hands snaking to the top of the towel, unwrapping it from under her arms. She let it drop to the floor, never letting her eyes stray from his. "So make love to me."

A hundred different emotions flickered across Clint's face as Darcy stood naked and inviting in front of him. She watched him fight various thoughts away, and at one point, he actually looked in pain. She just stood still, watching his eyes rake over her body only to close and open again to search her face then drop lower and darken at the sight in front of him. After a few seconds of his internal battle, Darcy moved forward, filling the gap between them and reached down to his belt buckle, using it to pull him closer. His eyes clouded over with lust, and the last bit of his self-control flittered away at her tempting offer.

Darcy smiled up at him before his lips seared against hers. He was so hungry for her, and she rejoiced at the affection he was giving her. His hands trailed burning paths down her back and over her behind.

"God, Darcy I love you." He moaned while mapping out opened mouthed kisses down her jaw. Darcy just tugged at his belt harder, trying to get to the goal faster. He thrusted into her hand, as she opened his buckle and unzipped his pants, his fingers gripping her hips as if she would slip through his grasp if he let go. "I'll never let you go, I promise."

Darcy smiled into his mouth as she claimed his lips again, she was glad he didn't seem to mind her being mute as they continued. He kicked off his pants that she had loosened as she pulled his shirt over his head and clawed at his bare chest. He picked her up, and Darcy wrapped her legs around his hips while he supported them both, groaning as his erection pressed against her exposed skin.

It happened so quickly that Darcy had a hard time remembering how they got there, but Clint had moved them to her bed and was as naked as she, holding his body over hers, he pushed into her with a strangled cry, filling her to the edge.

"Fuck!" She bit down on his left nipple lightly, giving it a slight tug as he pulled out and thrust into her again. She traced butterfly light kisses over his chest, enjoying the feel of his chest hair against her face. "Darce… I thought I'd lost you." He admitted as he repeated his motions. He demanded another kiss that she was happy to give, her hands gripping his upper arms as he continued to thrust into her welcoming body. "Never again." He moaned, a breathy whisper against her lips.

She whimpered slightly as he weight pressed down on her ribs, her fingers tightening around his arms at the sudden pain. He froze, eyes wide, but Darcy just grinded her hips to his, annoyed at his trepidation. She needed him. It was hungry and fast and Darcy just needed his approval as she writhed underneath him. His breathing soon halted and his head pressed into her chest as she felt him twitch and come undone.

Darcy traced imaginary patterns on his back as he recovered. She felt empty and incomplete as he pulled out of her, her body now as hollow as she felt. Clint still clutched to her as if she was about to evaporate into thin air if he didn't, not that she minded, she enjoyed having him hold her and whisper soothing words, caressing her like she was a goddess and not the monster she really was. It helped fill the void that had formed in her chest; she knew she was being selfish but he was relishing in this more than she was so it seemed alright to use him like this. For a moment, when she was with him in that passionate way, she forgot what had happened; it was only him and her. Like before.

"I was so scared." He was stroking her damp hair now while she stared at the off-white ceiling.

"I know." Her voice was monotone; he didn't seem to notice her lack of emotion, just happy to have her with him, she supposed.

"It's not your fault, what he did to you, what he made you do. It was self defence." He sounded feeble as he thought back to her capture. Darcy rolled her eyes and swung her leg over his hips so she was straddling him. She leaned forward and like a magnet, his hands covered her breasts. Darcy arched her back into them, the warmth feeling nice against her goose pimpled flesh. She brought her index finger down to his lips and hushed him, and it only took a minute of gridding before she could slowly lower herself onto him. Clint tried to keep eye contact, but his eyes soon rolled back into his head as she rotated her hips against his. Good, she didn't want him to comfort her with words; she didn't want his sympathy, just his love.

As if in autopilot, she connected with him again until he was grasping at her and groaning into her chest.

Darcy reached behind and rested her hands on his thighs to give her more leverage as she rode him to the brink of ecstasy, her breath getting quicker and uncontrolled as she felt a tightening in her lower abdomen and her legs shake uncontrollably underneath her. She threw her head back and let her hair tickle her back before moaning and giving into her body's urge to tighten around him.

As soon as both of them were spent, he pulled her down to rest with him, again, her eyes avoided his as he worshiped her, feeling unworthy of his compliments of her strength but selfish that she needed them to feel alive.

Darcy was surprised he either didn't notice or chose to ignore her stiffness in his arms. Finally, as the adrenaline faded, she closed her eyes and lowered her guard with him deliberately but not before she convinced herself that what she had just done was completely self-centered on her part.

Xxxxxx

* * *

"Darcy." She woke to someone running their hand lightly over her chin. She groaned and rolled over, away from the contact, but the hand only returned to shake her exposed shoulder. "Darce, I need to go."

Her eyes fluttered open and she turned back over to look at the man accompanying her in the bed. His hair was sticking up at various angles which she wanted to run her hands through, and his face was so relaxed that Darcy had a difficult time not keeping her heart from melting at how peaceful and happy he looked.

Darcy gave him a bright smile that was way too over the top but she couldn't switch it off. "Morning." She stretched out on the warm sheets and winced, giving a slight groan as she pulled on her sore ribs. She really shouldn't have taken off those bandages.

"It's two in the afternoon."

"We slept over a day?" She asked, confused.

Clint laughed as he softly shook his head. "About four hours. I have a meeting with some magazine people in a bit; Becky wants me to go soon for some interview prep."

"Fuck Becky. Stay with me." Clint looked pained at the unnecessary force Darcy spat the words. She rolled her eyes and let her hand trail down his chest, drawing invisible patterns over the soft hair. When her fingers reached their target, she wrapped them delicately around her goal, which was already half ready to go and gave a firm twist and tug, happy when it earned her a groan and a hushed curse.

"Darce." He said, warningly.

She ignored him and used her other hand to hold her weight as she slid down the bed, hiding under the sheets, hoping he didn't notice how empty she felt as she kissed numerous parts of his body as she went.

Why wouldn't he just let her love him the only way she knew how? He grabbed her elbows lightly, using as little force as possible to stop her actions and pull her up towards his face again. She huffed in anger, her face clearly showing her frustration at his rejection. All she wanted was to connect with him and he was acting all prim and proper, like she'd break if he held her too tight or something. She wasn't a rag doll! She could handle it! He didn't have this problem this morning.

"Darcy, I don't get you." She sat up, using the sheet to cover her chest as he ran a hand through his hair, apprehension and lust written over his face in a strange mixture.

"What's not to get? I'd rather you fuck me into this mattress then lie to a tabloid about being some kind of heart throb. But you're too scared to stand up to Nick Fucking Fury or worried I'm going to break or whatever." She pulled on the sheet and wrapped it around her body as she pulled away from him and escaped the bed, heading to the bathroom to find her discarded bandages from this morning. "It's fine, whatevs, just leave."

"This is exactly what I'm talking about!" Clint called out before she left the room; he fell back onto the pillows, sighing with his hands covering his face. "One minute you want me to stay with you in the hospital, then you avoid me for two days, then you make me tell you I love you, only for you to pull away now, again!" He raised his hands to show the distance between them, proving his point. "I know you're having a rough time, fuck, I understand and I tried to give you support, which you ignored so I left you alone, which almost killed me!"

Darcy looked at her reflection in the bathroom mirror. The bags under her eyes were darker than before, the small bandage on her cheek a shocking white in comparison. She sighed and looked down at the water filled sink. She pulled the plug with more force than necessary and watched the clear water vanish. She noted how it was clear and not the vibrant red she remembered from earlier. She had definitely freaked out again. Why did this keep happening? She just wished things could go back to how it was before... before the Battle of New York City...

"Then you practically beg me to sleep with you! I don't know what you want me to do." She caught his reflection in the mirror and spun around quickly. He looked as lost as she felt. Darcy shut off her emotions, not prepared to deal with them right now. "Please, how can I help you? I don't want to sit back and watch you tear yourself up over this, Darcy, I love you too much to lose you after everything."

Darcy frowned and bit the inside of her cheek as she gave a hard swallow. She walked back into the bedroom, tugging on a discarded t-shirt from the back of her desk chair. There were clean ones on the floor, but she knew she couldn't bend down that low and didn't want Clint to see that, it would only help prove his point.

"You want to know how to help?" She contemplated the sentence, rolling the word help over her tongue and not liking the bitter taste it left behind. "Well, _Agent Barton_, I want you to shut the fuck up." Darcy said calmly, her eyes closed and focused on her breathing so she didn't have to witness the trouble she was causing him. "I want you to stop talking about me and you, about us, because I can't say I love you back." She heard him shift on the bed, moving further away from her, she imagined. An uncontrollable sob escaped her lips which she suppressed with the palm of her hand. She wished she could say those three words to him, but she couldn't. That night at the gazebo seemed like years ago, in reality, it was less than a week ago. She was so carefree and positive back then, but since then she had been beaten and broken, her heart and spirit torn in two and left in pieces to harden. She needed to deal with her emotions on her own, she couldn't burden him with her problems, he was too good for her to ruin with her unstable feelings.

No, she just toyed with his emotions instead, by craving his body and his love, by needing his approval just to feel like she was worth something. How was that any better? She wanted to bang her head against the wall and yell at herself to sort her life out soon or she'd lose him forever, but it wasn't as easy as that. She needed to get away from everything, yet couldn't drag herself away from him. She felt her chest constrict with the realization that she was hurting him more than he was healing her. And she was selfish for still not wanting to let him go.

"I just want you to hold me, okay? And make me forget about him." She squeezed her eyes even harder, willing the tears not to escape. She took a deep breath in, really feeling like she was breathing for the first after holding her breath. "I want you to tell me you love me because right now, I... I hate myself." She whispered. "I hate myself."

She opened her eyes.

He was gone.

Sighing, she sat down on the edge of her bed staring at the raw red wounds that circled her wrists and cried until her chest ached and no more tears could flow.

Xxxxxx

* * *

The first thing Clint did when he walked into the meeting room after turning on the lights was punch the wall next to the switch.

He growled and swore loudly at the rush of pain and adrenaline that flushed around his system.

"Fuck, Darcy!" He couldn't understand why she was acting the way she was! He wanted to be supportive and be there for her, but there was only so much he could take before it was just some twisted kind of self-harm he was putting himself through. When she ignored him for two days after getting back, he tried to convince himself, with the help of Natasha, that Darcy just needed time and a bit of space to gather her thoughts. He didn't want to overwhelm her so, despite the frustration it caused, he gave her space. Well, although she couldn't see him, he was there, in the air vents above the edge of her hospital room, watching her as she slept, plagued with nightmares, watching as she went through detailed debriefs about Jackson and this guy called Robert, robotically and emotionless, the only personality coming out when she spoke of Robert and his brother . It constricted his heart. He heard her ask a few questions about her father and Fury answered them efficiently enough that she didn't have to ask many more. He watched as she plainly asked Fury for his eye patch so she could shove it in the other newbie agents faces if they accused her of being weak for getting kidnapped. Clint couldn't stop the sigh of relief and the huge smile that spread his face in that dark vent. It was like his Darcy was back in that moment. Cheeky, blunt and completely inappropriate. But it was just a fleeting moment.

Then Jane called him this morning to say Darcy had been in the shower of over an hour, and she thought she could hear sobbing; he rushed in and broke down the door in an overly masculine and unprofessional way that seemed to rear its ugly head whenever he found out Darcy was in trouble. He thought this could be his chance for her to open up to him and he would help her heal, instead she put him through an emotional roller coaster of his own by taking his declaration of love away from him and using it against him, driving him to the brink of insanity and ecstasy when she offered herself to him, how could he turn her down when he'd finally managed to let his true feelings for her be known?

She had used his emotions. And he let her.

He had used her body. And she didn't care.

He ran this morning through his head over and over again, the things he should had done or said differently, he should have had more self-control to say no, tell her she was grieving and it wasn't right, but she had all but tied his hands when she told him to make love to her.

How did things get so fucked up between them?

He had noticed as well. The way she moved like every motion was calculated, how she avoided his gaze more often than not, how devoid her voice was of any real emotion, how she never said those words back to him. She never even spoke, not even making a sound as he conveyed the depth of his love with words and actions, choosing to stay silent and withdrawn as they had sex, if that's what he could call it. It was so one-sided; it almost felt like she wasn't there, lost in her own mind. It was so unlike her usually passionate responses to his body. She was an empty shell, and he couldn't help but feel like he'd lost her as they lay together, spent.

Maybe he just needed to give her more time, but how long was the right amount of time before she closed herself off to the world? He'd seen it before with other agents and refused to stand back as the same thing happened to his Darcy.

"Fuck." He punched the wall again, his fist leaving a dent in the usually smooth flawless metal. He let his left hand dangle to the side, not wanting to look at the damage.

"Clint." Natasha had snuck up on him. He was usually the only person who could sense her presence, but right now, he was too distracted.

"Fuck off, 'Tash." He sneered.

He moved away from the wall, breathing deeply, bending over and resting his hands on his knees as if he'd just finished sprinting.

"You are torturing yourself. I can't keep watching you self-destruct and say nothing, it's pathetic." Her posture was perfect, her back straight and shoulders level from her seat, and it was formal, too formal for them.

"Oh, and you're one to talk?" He snarled, standing up. "I see the way you act around Banner. Scared, yet addicted. All those little glances, thinking no one will notice. How is that any better?"

Her face didn't change. "Wow, I thought better of you. Just think about what that girl is going through for a second. She's been uprooted from her normal life. Then kidnapped and beaten. Found out her mother was murdered by the same man who battered her. Found out her father had lied to her, and he was the reason she was taken." Natasha's eyes flashed as she listed off the experiences Darcy was going through, he was painfully aware of every detail. "Add you and her never being in a relationship like this before and she's lost all control of her every aspect life." Clint felt the adrenaline drain away as his hand started to throb. "Stop feeling sorry for yourself and get over it because this isn't going to be easy."

Clint collapsed into a chair. This is why agents weren't supposed to fall in love. Emotions ran high, problems arose and situations were always heightened to the extreme. His heart ached worse than he could remember, even with Darcy back with him, everything had changed, and they could never go back to how it was before. Even now, he was still holding the truth back, and it would always be like that. This is why agents shouldn't love, he reminded himself again.

"We had sex." He was balancing his head in his cupped hands, staring at the smooth shiny metal table below.

He could practically hear Natasha roll her eyes. "Well, that _always_ solves everything." There was a beat before she continued, obviously thinking of something. "She's pretty injured, how?" She didn't have to explain what she meant.

"I don't know, it happened so fast. She accused me of being in love with her then stood naked in front of me, saying 'make love to me, Clint'." He explained in disbelief.

Natasha gave a small chuckle of amusement which earned her a glare from him. "She accused you? Then stripped and demanded sex?" She seemed to consider something before a smile broke out across her face. "I'll have to add that to my list of interrogation techniques. You know, she would make a fantastic spy."

"You wouldn't dare!" He looked up at the fellow agent in shock, eyes wide but a small smirk on his face at her joke.

She merely raised an eyebrow in response. "If it made the world's best marksman drop his defences, than it must be very effective."

"Hey, I never squeal and you know it." He gave her a pointed look. Her lips twitched up for a nanosecond, and Clint's stern look softened. "Except that one time in Morocco, but that was your fault."

"I was nowhere near you and that woman." Her voice was curt, but the glint in her eye was back.

"My point exactly, we were supposed to be undercover as a couple, and you left me alone with that- that she-devil!" He gave her a nudge under the table with his foot. He was feeling better already; Natasha always had a way of taking his mind off of things and focusing on the job. He never usually realized she had done it until he was already relaxed, and it was too late to complain, that's why she was the spy after all, and he was just the assassin; he couldn't manipulate people the same way she could, and she couldn't kill them as easily as him. Even still, they always knew what the other was thinking or feeling in battle, that's why they worked so well together.

"I was just doing my job. It's not my fault you are easily distracted by partially insane brunettes with large breasts." She sat back in the chair, tucking a long leg under her as she crossed her arms.

"She had a gun to my groin the entire time! I signalled to you for over an hour before you came back." Clint shifted uncomfortably in his chair at the memory of that particular weapon resting snugly against his lower region.

"I was just doing my job." She repeated. "She didn't do any permanent damage anyway."

"If it wasn't for me, then you wouldn't have got that information."

"Don't be cocky." He winced at her choice of words. "You were just the distraction."

"Yeah, which, by the way, it would have been nice if you told me that _before_hand." She shrugged, and they both smirked at the memory of that night.

They laughed and joked for a few more minutes before Becky walked in with Agent Coulson; they all focused on the task at hand and twenty minutes later, Clint was on his way to a car with Becky and heading to head office of GQ magazine, practicing his 'charming smile' and 'laid back friendly attitude'. It was actually amazing how quickly meetings and agendas got done without Steve and Thor there to ask a million questions or Tony throwing wrenches in the works and trying to finding fault with every detail.

Natasha watched as Clint faked normalcy throughout the magazine briefing, making light chit-chat with Becky and nodding along with her plan of topic he should mention in the interview. She knew he was struggling inside, almost as badly as Darcy was. Natasha sighed and took of a ring on her middle finger, spinning it around on the table of the now vacated meeting room. She stared as it spun. As the small circle of metal finally wobbled and fell onto one side, Natasha stood up and knew what she had to do. She just hoped she wouldn't lose her friend in the process.

Xxxxxx

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There we go... I'm so sorry it's so angsty the last few chapters! But things will get better, I promise.

Reviews aren't needed but very much appreciated.

Only 2 chapters left and I would just LOVE to hit the 600 review mark by the end, it's a crazy hope and it won't happen, but it would be a great note for me to finish the story on.

Thanks for reading!

Charlie


	23. Chapter 23

Breathe

Xxxxxx

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Ccgnme – Wow! Thanks, I'm so glad you stumbled across my fic too ;-) but the best? There's some seriously good Clint/Darcy fics out there, check out Gift of Asylum and Simple, Not Easy then I doubt you'll say the same lol.

Belanna – Thank you for the lovely comments. I can tell you that there is a sequel to this fic in the line so it's not over for our couple just yet. I promise it won't be as angsty anymore either!

Kim – Darcy's dad will show up, when she'd ready to cope with the load of problems that also come with him. I think everyone wants to keep her away from him out of fear that it will only make her state of mind more fragile than it is right now! Thanks for reviewing!

Risalyn – Thank you, I'm still surprised when people say they get upset when reading my fic, but it just reminds me how great Kat Dennings and the writing for Thor really is, because we can connect so fiercely to Darcy Lewis even though she had like ten minutes screen time! I'm glad you liked it and hope you enjoy reading the next two chapters as much as I did writing them.

Lwolf – Good to know you're still reading ;-) I hope it means you're still liking it! Enjoy the rest, only 1 more chapter after this one!

Xxxxxx

So… This is the second to last chapter. This has been a crazy journey for me and I just wanted to thank everyone for sticking with me throughout it. Whether you're a new reader or have been with me since day one, your support and wonderful wonderful comments truly mean the world to me and I truly believe have changed me. This is the first fic I've written that I've actually finished, and although its not completely over yet, it has been you guys that have given me the confidence to write and publish my work. I always find really difficult to put myself out in the open like this, as I'm sure any writer understands, but you have all been great and welcomed me so kindly into the Avengers/Thor/Marvel community that I cannot find enough words to thank you so I'll stop.

Again, my fantastic Beta and good friend, **Sandra**, you make everything so easy and the constant advice and observations you make for my fic mean the world to me. I can't wait to work with you more and I really really hope I get to hug you one day for being so awesome! **THANK YOU!** This whole story is a testament to how brilliant you are and I can't wait to read more of your work in the future as well.

Xxxxxx

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Chapter 23

Darcy was poking the side of her face while looking at her reflection in the small hospital examination room's mirror. She frowned, wondering if she was going to have a mean looking scar under the small white bandage once the surgical cut healed. She hoped not, the doctor had already explained that the bone might never heal in the same symmetry as before, but they had done their best to fix the damage. Darcy wasn't sure if she could pull off a bitchin' scar or not, especially if she had to worry about having a wonky face as well. Fury had those weird darkened veins around his eye patch, and he totally made it work. Darcy felt a shiver run down her spine, and her toes felt tingly in her boots; she had seen what lay hidden beneath the director's patch now, and those veins were just the tip of the iceberg.

"Ew…" She gave an involuntary shudder.

She didn't know why she was here, they only discharged her this morning and yet they wanted to meet up with her and 'discuss things in more detail'.

She started to peel the edge of the tape that held the small square of gauze in place but stopped when she heard that door open, she held her hands behind her back and tried to act casual at the sight of Natasha, Dr Hale and the S.H.I.E.L.D appointed psychotherapist entering the room, making it feel a lot smaller now with four people crowding around the sterile bed and various tables covered in equipment that Darcy didn't recognize.

"Hi." She greeted them happily, applying her 'Smile Number 3' on her face, number 3 was professional and pleased, Darcy had pre-delegated.

"Hello Agent Lewis." The doctor greeted.

"I'm not an agent. My training has been put on hold; so I'm just plain Darcy." She informed them. "Darcy Lewis..." Her surname felt foreign on her tongue now that she knew the full weight it had amongst these people. It was like finding out your dad was really Barak Obama and you were the only person who didn't know, only it wasn't really that extreme Darcy told herself. Or as cool…

The three other people must have noticed her unease as she spoke but they did the polite thing and ignored it, Darcy found herself thankful that the majority of S.H.I.E.L.D agents that had trouble in social situations were currently not in the room with her. Lord knows how awkward this could have been otherwise! She jumped up on the mattress as she knew they wanted to check her over next and started picking at the Velcro straps on her wrist braces. She hated them, they constricted her ability to move her wrist freely, and although it would have hurt to flex them, she still didn't like being limited by their restraint. It was hauntingly familiar.

"Are you Doctor Agent Hale or Agent Doctor Hale? Or just Doctor Hale?" Darcy asked rather suddenly. Thinking about agents and stuff made her wonder and wondering was never a good thing.

"I'm just Doctor Hale, _Darcy Lewis_." She smiled warmly at Darcy before opening her folder. Darcy used this moment to look up at Natasha. The younger girl smiled at her and was greeted with a small quirk of the lips. Darcy decided to take it one step further and stuck her tongue out at the agent, but Natasha just rolled her eyes. Darcy was surprised at the teasing reaction, usually Natasha just kept stony faced when she was being silly, it was nice to see a more human response, although she couldn't help but wonder why Natasha was there.

"So, do you want me naked and lying on the bed?" Darcy asked, keeping her expression completely serious.

Doctor Hale laughed lightly. "Not quite yet, Miss Lewis. I'm going to check your wrists first."

Darcy shoulders visibly relaxed at the thought of the braces coming off. "Good, I hate these things."

The psychotherapist, who's name Darcy couldn't remember, it was something vague like Smith or Jones, made a note of this on his electronic device. Darcy frowned, not even a 'hello' yet and he was going all 'shrink' on her.

The doctor spent five minutes moving each wrist around, asking how this or that felt and then checked the cuts that weren't as angry or inflamed anymore. It was all good, and the doctor doubted there would be any scars as she moved onto Darcy's cheek. After another ten minutes of 'hmm'ing and 'ahh'ing noises and note taking, she stepped back and the man started to talk.

"Miss Lewis, there's something I wish to discuss with you, and I thought it best that we talk around other people." He began and Darcy's eyes watched as his mouth formed a grim line as he spoke. He looked like a sad turtle, old and worn but always wise and strong. He had such deep brown eyes she couldn't help but look into them. Doctor Brown! Darcy remembered his name, thankfully.

"I'm not pregnant am I? I knew it! Damn…" She joked, her attention being brought back fully to the room but not before her big mouth said something weird and inappropriate. It was actually worth it to see Natasha's usually quiet and graceful self, choke on air and have a coughing fit. She wished Tony was there or she had a camera, he would have loved this!

"No, Miss Lewis, you are not pregnant, is there any reason you think you might be?" Doctor Hale asked, a little stunned at the comment herself. Darcy began to wonder what her first name was; the little badge pinned to her white coat didn't say.

"Nah," Darcy waved her arm out in front of her. "I was just messing with you." It didn't lighten the mood in the room though, and now that Natasha had recovered her coughing fit, Doctor Brown continued.

"You have been though a very traumatic week and we, myself and Doctor Hale, think the best course of action to help you from suffering any long term problems, is to give you a prescription for Prazosin and an antipsychotic to stop your nightmares and any emotional outbursts that you have been suffering from."

Darcy felt her forehead knit together in confusion. "I haven't been having nightmares."

There was an awkward look between the two MD's. "You don't remember them?" Darcy shook her head at Doctor Brown. "Miss Lewis, on several occasions, you woke up screaming and panicked from your dreams. It took strong sedatives to calm you every time."

Darcy looked at her knees on the edge of the bed as she took this information in. "I don't remember."

"That's understandable, you were quite distressed afterwards. Basically, these drugs will help your anxiety so you won't have the nightmares to begin with." Darcy nodded at the mans words, feeling somewhere in between a small child being told how to behave and finding out her puppy had just died. "From what I've established over the last two days, your emotional state is very fragile, and obviously we want to build up some more stability, don't get me wrong, Miss Lewis, you are coping incredibly well on your own, these antipsychotics will just help you along the way."

Darcy nodded, willing herself not to cry. She thought she was holding it all together rather well, hiding her true feelings until she was alone, but this man was a professional, and he probably saw this all the time. Or maybe... No, Darcy tried to stop herself, but that ugly head of her insecurities reared itself again, or maybe Clint or Jane had just told them about her break down in the shower this morning?

Darcy found it ironic, she always joked about getting the 'stronger painkillers' but she never actually thought about drugs that turn everything off completely, like these drugs seemed to do. Would they make her a zombie? A shell that looked like her but empty? Isn't that what she felt like now anyway? She sighed, running her right hand fingers through her loose hair, dragging the nails along her scalp in a way that she usually found calming but not right now.

"I want to get better..." Darcy said slowly, choosing her words very carefully. "And I don't think drugs will help me do that." Darcy found the courage to look up at the professionals who seemed unaffected by her words, merely accepting them. Natasha on the other hand looked proud; Darcy knew she had made the right decision then.

"Alright, well I think you're good to go. If you change your mind, then let us know." Both doctors left after arranging their next appointments with Darcy, and she was left alone with The Black Widow.

"It gets better. I swear on my life Darcy, it won't be like this for long but…" Natasha's eyes darted around the room, a look of familiarity briefly flashed across her features, and she gave a sad smile as she continued. "It's gonna take time."

"Right… Time…" Darcy muttered to herself.

"Yes. Time. You are a strong person Darcy but killing your first person always effects you."

"How did you react?" Darcy wished she could take the question back as soon as she spoke it, but it was too late.

"Much like yourself, it was self-defence, I was young, only fourteen, although I was very mature for my age." Natasha moved a piece of red hair from her eyes and tucked it securely behind her ear. "He was trying to steal from my family and wasn't expecting anyone to be at home. I had a gun and he was slower than I was."

There was a long pause and Darcy knew the story was over. "What- How did you cope?"

"I didn't. It wasn't until a month later when I did some truly rebellious and stupid things that my grandma took me out and told me it was kill or be killed."

Darcy started to nod but didn't have time to figure out what happened when she felt herself pinned on the examining table. She choked as air rushed out of her lungs and her eyes refocused to see Natasha locking the door before walking back over.

"What the-" She panted, finding it difficult to say much more when winded.

"Is that what this is about, Darcy? Do you wish you'd been killed there instead?" Natasha gripped Darcy by the hair and pulled her head back so it was pinned to the table. The agents knee came up and hooked around her legs, effectively keeping her in place only her hands free to struggle and claw at the older woman who was hurting her.

"No!" Darcy cried only to get her hair pulled harder.

"Really? Because I think you're lying." Natasha put more weight on her knee and it dug into Darcy's legs. "I can kill you now, it would be so easy, if that's what you want."

"I want to live." She gasped, air flooding her lungs.

"You're not really showing me much proof, Darcy." Natasha hissed right by her ear and Darcy had to pinch her eyes closed to stop tears from forming. "I think you wanted to die in there. You found out poor old daddy had lied to you and you felt sorry for yourself, didn't you?"

"No!" Darcy lied through gritted teeth.

"You wanted to play the victim, the poor little girl who lost her mommy, everyone would feel sorry for you and your tragic little life. But you were stronger than that, weren't you? Your mind refused to give up when your body had. So prove it again, show them how strong you can be. Or, I can end it for you now." The grip on her hair tightened and Darcy gasped as she felt the tip of something sharp press into her neck. Her eyes strained to look down at the object poking her but guessed it was a needle.

"But I'm not. I'm not strong." Darcy chocked.

"Bullshit. You killed him because you had no choice, but that didn't mean you didn't want to. You took control and it felt good. You did a brave and strong thing by taking that bad man out of this world and yet you hate yourself for it. Why?" Natasha's words felt like knives piercing Darcy, every one of them was biting and completely painful for her to listen to, but she didn't have a choice, she was pinned.

"I took a life, who says I won't do it again? I'm a monster." Darcy admitted.

"I've killed. Am I a monster?" It was a simple enough questions, but Darcy could feel the weight behind it.

She gripped her heels onto the bed and pushed her hips off the table but it was pointless, Natasha had her exactly where she wanted her and wasn't about to let go. "But it's your job." Darcy muttered, feebly, it was a poor reason but she couldn't explain why she thought it was acceptable for Clint and Natasha to kill but not her. She wasn't trained by her country to perform such tasks, she supposed. She didn't have permission.

"Did you like killing him?"

"Yes." Darcy whispered, the tears pouring down the side of her face, over her temples and into her hair. Shame washing over her at the memory of how she felt that moment after she killed him. When she knew he was dead but pressed down harder on that wrench just to make sure…

"Would you do it again?"

"Yes." She hated to admit it, but she would do it in a heartbeat.

"So why do you feel so guilty?"

"I hurt him!" Darcy thrashed her arms around and tried to hit Natasha, but her wrists hurt with every movement and this was Black Widow, there was no way Darcy could fight her.

"Of course you did, you killed him." Natasha blinked at the odd answer.

"Not Jackson. I hurt Clint." Darcy stopped her vain struggle and let her arms wrap around her torso, the only place that didn't hurt. "I always hurt him."

Natasha slowly let go of her firm grip of Darcy's hair but still kept her leg over hers. Darcy heard the clatter of the small metal needle and plastic syringe fall to the floor and took a deep breath in. "Clint loves you, you didn't hurt him."

"I did. I do. Whatever happens, it's always Clint that gets hurt. I can't keep doing that to him, but I can't bear the thought of leaving him. That's why I feel so fucking guilty, alright?!" Darcy yelled at the older woman, rubbing her eyes with the palms of her injured hands. "Not Jackson, I know I'm not a monster because of I killed him, I'm a monster because I hurt Clint, I'm still hurting him."

"He's hurting himself. That's his problem not yours." Natasha tried to figure out where Darcy was coming from but couldn't.

"No, you don't understand. It's because of me, I'm here, but I'm not… Lord, this is so fucked up." Darcy started to sit up, wiping the tears from her eyes.

"Then explain." The red head said bluntly, wanting to understand Darcy's logic.

Biting the inside of her cheek, Darcy didn't know what she was saying until she spoke. "I think… I think I need some space from S.H.I.E.L.D." She didn't know she was even thinking it until the words were out in the open, but now it made perfect sense. Darcy had spent over a month trapped in this underground building, and even then she only had clearance for 15 of the 18 floors it had. The only times she had been out were to have dinner, once with the team, and the other time she was abducted.

Who was she kidding, she wasn't agent material! Fury and Coulson were under some impression that just because her dad was an original, like them, and had taken her to laser tag a lot as a kid it meant she was some kind of awesome spy-in-waiting. No, as much as it pained her, Darcy was not made for this kind of organization. She used to be a free and positive, happy girl that always spoke her mind and made fun of people or didn't care what others thought of her, but now she was closed off and constantly faking a smile to her friends.

Worst of all, she was hurting the man she loved. Her inability to admit her feelings from fear of him rejecting her when he realized that she wasn't the same girl he fell in love with, it was breaking both of their hearts at the same time. She couldn't bear to watch that constant battle behind his eyes anymore, because she wasn't strong enough to take the risk and love him like he loved her. So she was just using him and his body for temporary relief, her own way of loving him and distracting from the deeper problem, that was, she didn't like the person she was anymore. A person that hurt and lied to the ones she loved.

Everything she had known had been flipped on its head, and she didn't know where the ground was, let alone where she stood on it.

"I need to figure out who I am now." Darcy wiped away a tear the moment it broke away from her eye.

"Without anyone holding you back." The understanding and compassion in Natasha's voice was enough for Darcy to let the tears break free again.

"Without _me_ holding anyone back." Darcy rephrased, thinking only of Clint as she spoke. "I've been unmade, Natasha. I try, I'm trying to hold on to that person I was but… I'm not her anymore. I don't know anything about me now." She let her hair fall around her face as she looked down at the red marks on her wrists. Is this what it was like for them? Did Clint and Natasha have these problems when they started out? Were they unmade and put back together to form something new and not quite whole? Darcy wasn't sure she wanted to know the answer.

"You're going to be alright." Darcy felt an arm wrap around her shoulders, and it took a moment to realize that Natasha was actually hugging her. Darcy usually would have smiled or laughed at the absurdity of this situation, or done a fist pump at how she finally managed to get The Black Widow to do something completely human and out of character, but right now she was too busy re-thinking her life plan. "We'll be here for you, however you need us."

Darcy gave a rather unladylike sniff, wiping her face of all traces of tears. "Where's nice this time of year?" She wiped her eyes and gave the older woman a weak smile and laugh, her face red and puffy. "You know, preferably somewhere without any super villains, evil assassins or crazy spies."

"Budapest is nice." She was rubbing Darcy's back, her head slightly rested on top of the younger woman's. It was only then that Darcy realised Natasha was straddling her on the examination table. Now she _really_ wished she had a camera.

"I've never been there. What about Ireland?"

"Ireland is good, I was only there for a few days, but they have good bars and helpful people. There was this one gentleman…"

They eventually shifted positions but stayed in that room for hours, Darcy sitting on the edge of the bed and Natasha comfortingly stroking her back, re-telling memorable and crazy encounters with different people all around the world. Darcy liked listening to Natasha's stories of various countries; she would have to go to all of them one day. "What about Paris?"

"Paris is beautiful. You'd love Paris."

Darcy smiled, the tears had long since slowed and her breathing was easy. "Hmm… I've been, I'd love to go again…" She muttered, having already made up her mind that she was leaving.

"Just make sure you say goodbye first." Natasha gave her shoulders one last squeeze and let go.

She'd have to say a lot of goodbyes, Darcy mused. "Don't be silly, I'm only leaving so I can get a goodbye hug from you." She nudged her with her shoulder, getting up from the bed and straightening out her clothes.

"I wouldn't put it past you."

Darcy caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror she stood in front of earlier. She looked terrible, her skin was gaunt and pale making the surgical scar stand out even more in contrast. It was now healed enough that it didn't need to be covered according to Dr Hale's examination, so it was exposed on her cheek, running parallel to the bone underneath. It was a thick red line surrounded by tight pink skin. Where was Thor with a healing stone when she wanted one? No, she preferred having the wound, a reminder and a way to track her progress. Darcy silently made a promise that by the time the scar was healed, she would be as well. Her hair was limp and wild, her usual curls and waves were an unwashed tangled mess. Darcy tilted her head slightly to the left, she guessed the bags under her eyes should have been a warning that she wasn't sleeping right, although she couldn't remember the nightmares she supposedly was having. She took a deep breath in and gave her reflection a small smile then turned away to leave. It was a strange feeling, her revelation of leaving was a shock to even herself, but just saying it out loud made her feel a little better, like she had been given a piece of her back to fill the void inside.

"Clint won't like that you encouraged me to go." Darcy teased as they walked out of the room and headed to the elevator.

"I'm not going to tell him it was me that helped you decide. And you won't either." The slight smirk on her face was supposed to make Darcy feel threatened but instead she just laughed.

She was going to miss Natasha and her super eyebrows and her pout of awesomeness.

Xxxxxx

* * *

Darcy entered Fury's office and was amazed at what a contradiction it was. The metal walls of S.H.I.E.L.D's base had ended with his door and this was like walking into another universe, full of vintage furniture and deep colours. Darcy knew she must have been looking around wide eyed; Fury gave a slight cough to break her chain of thought.

"Agent Lewis." He greeted, sitting behind his huge mahogany desk, the advance technology looked strange sitting on such an antique surface. He nodded his head towards another wooden chair that matched his own and she smiled as brightly as she could manage as she lowered down onto the soft leather cushion.

"It's just Miss. I'm not an agent."

"Agent Lewis. You held your own against one of S.H.I.E.L.D's most vicious criminals, without giving away any information and are still here to tell the tale today. I think you've earned the right to be an agent." Darcy felt her heart swell at his kind words, tears starting to build behind her eyes; she nodded with a sad smile.

"Thank you, Sir." Her words were nothing but a grateful whisper.

"You also have one of my eye patches in your possession, which means you've passed the new agents initiation and are officially an agent in every way possible."

Darcy laughed and she swore she saw Fury's eye crinkle around the edge with amusement. Oh God, a hug from Natasha and a smile from Fury all in the space of an hour! It was a day of miracles!

Darcy relaxed in the chair slightly, her back resting on the plush leather. She looked around the room, rich with reddish brown wood and blue fabric. Her eyes caught a big picture on the wall that instantly distracted her from her purpose of the meeting and made her stand up, heading towards it. She recognized a few of the people that were posing in the photo and her fingers unknowingly reached out to trace her father's face.

So it was true.

She knew it was silly, she'd been told enough to know her dad's secret life wasn't a fabrication, but actually seeing the man that raised her, smiling at the camera, arm wrapped around Phil 'Secret Badass' Coulson's shoulders, it made it real. He looked so young. So carefree. His hair was longer and there was no grey that now littered his dark brown hair. His face was smooth and happy and there was a sparkle in his eyes that she had never seen before. It was taken outside, on the lawn in front of a building she didn't recognize, it was sunny and the light beamed down on all of them as they laughed with each other.

"It was taken in the summer of 1992, when we first established S.H.I.E.L.D." Fury had suddenly appeared next to her, gazing at the photo with nostalgia and affection. Gosh, 1992, Darcy would have only been around 4 years old. This was before her mother was killed, before her dad quit and moved them away from this organization.

"I see." Darcy smiled, the first natural smile she'd made in days. It felt good. "Nice afro." Fury's eye flickered over to his younger image; Darcy was surprised to find he had both his eyes intact. She was beginning to think Fury was born with a mini eye patch around his small baby head. "You were really hot back then." She looked up at him with a smirk, his face didn't move but she could tell he wasn't impressed. She returned her eyes to the photo.

There were six of them; Fury was in the middle, obviously the leader of the group, arms crossed over his chest. He was wearing black like always but his shirt was open at the neck, a few buttons undone to show the skin of his toned chest beneath. He had a small afro that was perfectly shaped around his youthful face, and his smile was stunning, showing his pearly white teeth and making him look 40 years younger than the man who stood next to her today. Her dad was standing directly to Fury's right and Phil next to him. They looked like best friends and kind of reminded her of the odd but adorable friendship Steve had with Tony. One shy and one overly friendly, she smiled at them. She would have to ask Coulson more about her dad sometime. Phil, who in this picture was a total hotty! She felt her mouth go dry as she looked at the handsome man's blushing smiling face. Damn…

On the other side were three more people, two she didn't know, but the last person she instantly remembered. It was the only woman in the group, and she had a more at ease vibe then all the others, obviously not affected the by the men's overabundance of testosterone, she was smiling like the rest but was looking at the person taking the picture and waving at someone behind the camera rather than the lens like everyone else. It was the woman from the shop that second night at base, when she and the group first went to the bar. She helped Darcy figure out how to use the self-operated tills. Darcy didn't know what to make of her, but she made a promise to track her down one day and talk about being the only woman in a male group. Darcy wondered if her and Natasha were friends.

"Who are these people?" Darcy asked after she had studied each of their faces.

"That's Susan; she still works here on the admin floor, General Manager." Fury explained and Darcy wish she knew more about S.H.I.E.L.D's internal structure to know what General Manager actually meant, it sounded important. "She was injured in the field ten or so years ago but didn't want to retire." She detected a hint of irritation in his tone and Darcy was tempted to point out that _he_ got injured in the field and yet, he still worked here as well. "That's Barry Kent, he's living in Florida with his wife and a brand new baby boy." Fury pointed at the shortest and youngest member of the team. He couldn't have been more than twenty in the photo, and he looked incredibly pleased to be there, his smile halfway between joy and disbelief. "Nearly every piece of equipment here that wasn't designed by Stark was made by Barry." Wow. A talent that could have surpassed Tony Freakin' Stark himself. "He designs websites and programs for all the major companies out there now, as a hobby!" Fury sounded as stunned as Darcy felt. "And this is Dave, David Speight, he sadly died a few years back, freak car accident in the English countryside." Darcy nodded slowly, trying to take in all the information he had given her. It was hard to believe the picture was taken over 20 years ago and not more.

"You all look so young."

"We were excited." Fury explained "We were given the chance to build an organization this important from the ground up, it was an amazing opportunity."

"Who's taking the picture?"

Fury sighed, "You are too perceptive for your own good, Agent Lewis."

Darcy crossed her arms, feeling like a teenager about to have a tantrum. "Does that mean you're not going to tell me?"

"No, I'll tell you, when you ask the right question."

"Cryptic much?" Darcy snorted.

"How about you tell me why you're here, stopping me from my conference with the President."

Darcy's eyes grew twice in size. Was he joking? She was making the President wait? Her mind almost exploded at the sheer absurdity and awesomeness of that idea.

"Seriously? He's, like, just waiting for you to ring him right now?"

"I can call him now if you like?" Fury's eyebrow raised, he was challenging her.

"No," She shook her head as they headed back to their previous seats. "I think I'll take your word on that one."

"He's on speed dial. Number 14. It's no problem, really." Now she knew he was teasing her.

"14? You know 13 more important people than the freakin' President?!"

Fury gave her that one eyed stare that let her know that their little joke was over.

"So, Agent Lewis, how can I help?"

She took a deep breath and said the words as fast as she could while hoping he could catch them. "I'm leaving to go to Paris."

"I see." He echoed her words from earlier, a slight smirk gracing his features; he didn't seem that surprised at her announcement. "When?"

"A-SAP." Her lips made a little pop as she spoke.

"And will you be going accompanied?"

Her forehead crinkled up at the curious question. "No. I need some time to figure out what I want in my life. So much has happened, I… I need to step back and get some prospective. Rethink a few things. On my own." Her nervousness in telling him slowly dripped away as she spoke, he was being very open and accepting that it was easy to talk to him about it. She honestly expected yelling.

"Good, I wouldn't want to lose Agent Barton just yet." Darcy blushed at his idea of her and Clint running away together.

"Neither do I." She said honestly, not able to stop the words before she spoke them.

"Why Paris?" He had taken out a note pad and began to jot some words down as he typed random thing on his computer. She couldn't really see what he was typing from this angle as everything was backwards on the see-through screen.

"Why not? I've always wanted to go back after a trip I took with some girlfriends years ago, and it seems like a good place to start." Darcy shifted in her seat, crossing her legs to get more comfortable. "Is that okay?"

"Of course, we have some brilliant agents in Paris, I'll email them and maybe one of them could show you around?"

"That would be amazing." She didn't comment on the hidden meaning, he would email them so that could keep an eye on her. She didn't mind, it was nice to know that he wanted to make sure she was alright in a foreign country.

"How long are you planning to go for?" She saw him draw a quick and simple map of the world and put a number 1 over the rough area France was located.

"I don't know, a month? Then I was thinking of going to all of Europe." She hadn't thought about it in too much detail. "I have a friend from college that works in London so I might stay with her for a few days." It would be nice to see a friend from before her life got so crazy, so she could pretend to still have some sliver of normalcy.

"Good good. Maybe you could go see that Wicked musical you wanted." He typed another thing on the keyboard and spun the screen around so she could see it. "I've transferred your accumulated wages to your bank account, you've also entitled to compensation for the unfortunate incident that occurred while you worked for us, which I have put in an immediate request for with HR."

Darcy was gobsmacked. She knew that S.H.I.E.L.D was paying her for the work she did for Jane and while she was in training, but she thought it was just a room and board sort of thing. She never thought to ask about actual money. If what she was looking at on the screen were her current bank details, which she was pretty sure it was, the figure that showed was more than she dreamed to earn in two years of regular employment, let alone a month of S.H.I.E.L.D stuff.

"Fuck! Is this for real? Is that a real number next to my name?" She sat forward in the chair, thinking the number would change under closer inspection. Like that comma was really a decimal.

"This is a dangerous job, Agent Lewis. We pay you accordingly."

"This is enough to buy a cruise ship and sail the freakin' world!"

Fury sighed. "I think you overestimate the value of money."

"Whatever, man. This is too much. Take it back." She could get a loan from Tony; she didn't need S.H.I.E.L.D's sympathy money for being kidnapped. It wasn't their fault, and they shouldn't have to support her on her 'journey to find herself'. She could get a real job when she got back and pay Stark the borrowed money.

"How about this, Agent Lewis. Call this an advance, a deposit in good faith that when you are ready to come back, then you will." Darcy could work with that, it didn't feel as much like stealing when she knew she was coming back in the end. She reluctantly nodded. "Good. Now enjoy your trip, I look forward to receiving my postcards."

Darcy smiled at his joke only to find his face perfectly serious. Did her really want her to keep him updated on her vacation via cheesy photos of local landmarks with half-hearted messages on the back? 'Wish you were here!'… Weird.

"Thank you, Sir. I really appreciate this."

"You are most welcome."

Darcy took her cue to stand up and leave; she hesitated at the picture hanging on the wall again, an idea striking her. "Can I..." Darcy shook her head. "Never mind, sorry. Forget I spoke."

"No, go on Agent." Darcy took a shaky breath, she didn't like being called agent, but she knew better than to argue with the Director.

"It's just... Can I take a picture of this?" She fumbled for her phone, an insanely cool device that Tony had given her, apparently it was a prototype of his next smart phone, Darcy had joked with him that you have to be a genius to figure out all the apps and features it supposedly had. He then almost took it away when she said she preferred her old iPhone. She had managed to learn to answer a call and text and take a photo; she still couldn't work out how to download Angry Birds, much to Tony's frustration.

"Go ahead."

"Thanks." She muttered as she pressed a few buttons and heard a shutter noise that indicated a picture had been taken. She held it closer to check the photo and smiled. She went to say goodbye to Fury as she left the room, but he was already engaging in a conversation with someone else.

"Obammy! My man! How are they treating you?" Darcy felt her jaw slacken and was surprised she managed to make it out of the door without falling over her own feet.

Sometimes Darcy really wished she could update her Facebook status to the crazy shit that happens around here.

Xxxxxx

* * *

Please don't hate me!

Reviews are awesome but not necessary. Although I'm trying to hit the 600 goal by the end, it's a pointless wish that I don't think will happen but I'm still hopeful!

So… The last chapter next… I'm bloody terrified of what you'll all make of it! I've never been so scared to publish something in my life!

Thanks for reading and sticking with me this far.

Charlie


	24. Chapter 24

Breathe

Xxxxxx

* * *

So… I haven't PM'd anyone who reviewed the last chapter. Please don't think I don't appreciate you, but I thought you'd prefer I use my time to edit and post this than write to you all individually. I will get round to it at some point and say my thanks, especially now that the story is over…

I pretty much said all my thanks in the last chapter so I'll keep this short and sweet.

Thank you Sandra. Words fail me when trying to describe how amazing you are so I'll stick with 'soul mate' and hope you understand.

This is not the end, I have written a few chapters of a sequel but it will probably be a little while before I think they're up to scratch to publish. Although I have half written a Loki/Darcy fic that I will upload soon, so add me to your Author Alert if you're interested.

And now, the time is near…

Xxxxxx

* * *

Chapter 24

Darcy thought it would be best to break the news to Clint on her own. She had invited everyone to the bar they usually went to, The Wishing Will, to which Darcy had a moment of clarity when she realized the play on words referred to her dad. So tonight she was going to tell everyone, tomorrow she would pack and her flight left from JFK at exactly 14:55p.m.

So there she was, standing outside Clint's room, like she had so many times before, only this time it felt wrong.

He opened the door about twenty seconds after her first knock, and she bit her lip at the man in front of her. If it was possible, he looked better than she'd ever seen him before. His hair was styled with products in a messy look that made him look adorable yet sexy; he was wearing a light blue casual shirt that was undone, so she could see some of his chest hair. The shirt was rumbled but she guessed that was designed to appear like that. She looked down to see a pair of dark blue jeans that were fitted to perfection and his feet were bare. Darcy felt her mouth dry up at how gorgeous he looked, why did he have to look so hot! She cursed God for making this even harder. Well, cursed Loki, who she now knew she could piss off via prayer anytime she wanted with comments like that. It was a strange sort of power but she liked to abuse it.

"Hi." He greeted.

"Hey." They didn't kiss like their usual door answering routine and Darcy sighed. Was it really only this morning that she was in his arms? It felt like months. She wished she had this plan then, knowing it would have changed her perspective of their relationship a lot.

"Oh, come in." He seemed to remember his manners after a few moments of staring at each other.

Darcy twisted her fingers together in front of her, finding it difficult to find the right words as she stepped into his apartment. It felt different from the place she spent weeks sneaking over to and sleeping with Clint, but she knew it was the same, she was the one that changed.

"Sorry it's a mess, I didn't expect anyone over and we're seeing each other later...So…" He said, rather flustered as he picked up a jacked from the back of the sofa and gestured for her to sit down.

"Yeah, I wanted to talk to you first." She muttered, watching him like a hawk as he shoved random things away in an effort to tidy up.

"Do you want a drink?"

"No. Clint, just stop." She grabbed his lower arm lightly to put a pause on what he was doing. "Please, sit down?" She tugged on him and he cautiously sat on the sofa next to her, their bodies angled towards each other. The air was thick and the tension was making it hard to breathe. "I... I think..." Why was it easier to talk to Fury, hands down one of the scariest people she had ever met, but she couldn't form a sentence longer than 3 words around Clint? Where was her usual big mouth and lack of brain filter when she needed it?

"You're leaving me." He seemed to have figured it out for himself, Darcy didn't know if that made it easier or not. His voice sounded strangled, desperate for her to tell him that was true, but she couldn't.

"No. I'm leaving S.H.I.E.L.D. I need a break."

"A break up?" He spat the words, angry, his muscles tensing instantly.

"No!" She rested her hand on his chest, weakening at the warmth she felt through the thin material. She paused, feeling his heart beat under her palm for a moment before continuing. "I need some space. To rethink things, to rewrite myself." He didn't move a muscle, but Darcy saw his eyes soften, he understood what she meant. "The way I feel about you hasn't changed, but I have and I can't stay here until I figure out who I am now, after… everything." She hoped that didn't sound as vague and pathetic as it felt.

"Will I see you again?" She almost broke down there and then. He sounded lost and frantic and looked as broken as she felt. She wanted to take him in her arms and promise him the world, but she couldn't. She couldn't give him all of her until she was whole again.

"Of course. You can't get rid of me that easily." She teased with a small sad smile, sounding more like a plea than the light-hearted comment she wanted.

"Where will you go?" His hands had somehow found their way to her upper arms as they sat there, and were beginning to stroke up and down in a soothing manner. Darcy had to stop her eyes from fluttering closed as their close proximity.

"Paris. London. Maybe Budapest." He snorted and Darcy raised an eyebrow at him.

"Is our relationship so bad that you need to go halfway across the world to avoid me?" His laugh was bitter and Darcy frowned, not liking his tone.

"Don't do that. Don't put yourself down for no reason. This isn't about that and you know it, so stop being so self-deprecating."

"Sorry, they are all wonderful. Budapest is lovely this time of year."

"Oh." Of course he'd been to all those countries and more. She suddenly felt very young and inexperienced compared to him. She knew they were fifteen years apart, but it never felt that way until now. He had done so much and she was a college drop out that had only left America twice, once thanks to a distraction technique from S.H.I.E.L.D. and the other as a drunken week away with some high school friends.

She looked down at his hands on her body. His wrists were covered in various bracelets and a leather cuff that was made to look worn, they hid his scars. She frowned. He noticed her line of sight and could guess her train of thought.

"I had an exclusive with GQ this afternoon."

"I remember." Her hand dropped from his chest, taking in his clothes again. Just another uniform S.H.I.E.L.D dressed him up in, she muse with a slight more hostile than necessary internal tone. "They dressed you up real good, soldier boy."

They sat in a bittersweet silence. Her taking in every detail she could so he could stay with her like this in her memory. He gradually leaned forward and captured her lips with his, giving her a slow and sensual kiss that lasted an eternity. She met his soft warm mouth with her own, responding to his movements. It wasn't romantic or sexy. It didn't make her burn with desire or make her want to press up against him to get as much contact as possible. No, this kiss was painstakingly sweet and deliberate. It was flawless and epic. It was goodbye.

She didn't know who pulled away first, maybe they both sensed it was time to finish and moved back, they rested their foreheads against each other's and breathed in one another. Darcy felt truly sad, losing him hurt, but it meant she could fix her broken soul. They were right for each other but just not at this moment in her life, no, she needed to run away and lick her wounds before they could be together again. She just hoped he's still be there when she came back, that he wasn't too hurt that he'd reject her when she eventually turned up at his door, finished with her running away and hiding.

"I love you, Clint Barton." She finally whispered, her lips less than a centimeter from his so they brushed against each other as she spoke. She felt a weight lift from her heavy shoulders, glad she could finally say those words without feeling guilty. He wrapped his arms tightly around her waist and pulled her into his lap, God, she was going to miss his arms! She had finally said the words he longed to hear and she'd wished she had the strength to say, but they came at a price. "I think I always have and I know I always will." She held the sides of his face between her hands and pulled back so they were looking at each other. God, she loved his green eyes, usually so fun and sexy, now filled with heartache. Because of her. "But I need to let you go." She tried to move out of his lap but his arms wouldn't budge.

"I'll come with you." He said quickly. "I love you, Darcy, please, don't leave without me."

She shook her head from side to side. "You belong here."

"You belong with me."

"You belong here and I don't." Darcy said firmly, she'd be lying to herself if she said Fury didn't have some influence on her words.

Clint seemed to notice. "Fuck S.H.I.E.L.D. Fuck The Avenger. We can go elsewhere. I can always get work." Darcy tensed at his implication. He'd leave S.H.I.E.L.D and take less… honourable work for her. She shook her head.

"No. You do so much good here, you have friends here. I can't make you leave them." Darcy pushed him back slightly as she moved away from him and crossed her arms over her chest. "Plus, I need to do this on my own."

"You belong with me." He repeated, trying to break her resolve and nearly succeeding until the echo of Jackson's windpipe popping vibrated in her mind.

"No!" The tears were flowing now; she didn't even try and stop them. "I do belong with you, fuck, I love you, but not like this." She looked down at her lap. Why did he have to say all the perfect things and make her feel like the villain? "If I stayed, then six months, a year down the line... I might freak you out or push you away and we'll destroy each other emotionally… physically… we'd never be able to cope." He knew she was right. The only reason she was being so open with him now was because she was leaving. "If I go, when I come back, I'll be better. I won't use you and you won't pity me and then we'll have a real chance."

"I don't care." His jaw was clenched and his neck tense, Darcy weakened slightly and practically crawled back into his lap, running her hands down a trail from the base of his skull down and around his neck to his chest, trying to soften his hurt feelings. "Hurt me, yell at me, hate me. I don't care about the future, just don't leave me now!" He raised his voice. "I just got you back."

"I can't do that to you, Clint. I love you too much-"

"Bullshit!" He shouted. Darcy tensed and pulled against his arms but they stayed solid, in place.

"Don't do this Clint." She warned.

"You're scared. You're running away like a child because you're scared that this is real. We're made for each other and that frightens you." His eyes were ablaze with anger and Darcy wanted to get away from him. "I already lost you, _twice_! I can't lose you again. I won't." He rested his head in her chest, pulling her into a hug in her straddling position. She could feel him shaking against her and cried with him. He was right; she was scared and acting like a child by running in fear. That's just what she did, she ran when he was hurt and she couldn't stand the thought of him hurting, and now she was doing it again.

"I know. I'm sorry. You deserve someone better than me. I can't give you what you need right now."

"All I need is you." What had she done to this man? Darcy had broken him. When they met he was a cocky, confident ass who joked around and went from one extreme mood to the next in a heartbeat. Now, he was as fragile and dejected as she was. This was why she had to leave. She had done this to him.

"That's my point." She stroked his hair for what felt like hours, until there was a knock at the door that forced Darcy to get up. "You shouldn't want me like this." She sighed, her hand resting on his door handle. "My mind's made up, there's no point in trying to change it, okay?"

He just glared at her. Breaking the last part of her heart as he finally saw her for the coward she was.

Opening the door, it was Natasha, who stayed completely neutral at the sight of them thankfully, they must have looked an absolute wreak, eyes red and puffy, faces stained with tears and hair a mess. Darcy said a small bye to both of them, telling them she'd see them later at the bar, and then leaving as fast as her feet could carry her.

She left the two agents staring at each other in remorse as she practically ran to the elevator. After all, running is what she was best at.

Xxxxxx

* * *

"Loki, my main man! Nice pad you got here." Darcy called out as she walked into his holding cell on Level 18, her confident mask back in place. The prision had once again completely changed in looks. The glass cage was no longer there, now that area had been sectioned off by a wall into a bedroom space. The lone chair she sometimes sat on was gone, now a lush sofa and table and chairs took its place, there was a table with his computer stuff and fire place that made Darcy quirk an eyebrow up, how did he have a fireplace and she didn't? Not that it was a real fire; after all, they were 18 floors underground in a room with no ventilation except the vents the pumped in the optimum amount of oxygen and carbon dioxide, something that Darcy still found weird.

"Thank you, Darcy. It is good to see you looking so well." He was wearing a pair of dark jeans and a dark, open necked shirt; he looked very smart casual considering he was locked in a room all day with nowhere to go. "And with shoes this time." He said with a cheeky smirk she didn't really understand. She imagined it was about the rescue but anything after killing Jackson and seeing Clint standing in that door way was a fuzzy mess to her. The doctor said it was her concussion, the psychologist said it was because of the stress and trauma. Darcy wanted to believe in the first excuse but knew the second felt more true.

"All thanks to you." She plopped down on a sofa and kicked her feet up on the coffee table that made Loki frown. She slowly moved each leg and placed it back on the ground, her eyes never leaving his stern glare, a sheepish look on her face.

"I would never have found you if not for your prayers."

"Pfft, I was half dead; trust my delusional random idea to beg a Norse God to be the thing that saved me." Darcy rolled her eyes and picked up a book from the couches arm rest. "Twilight? Are you fucking kidding me?" She tossed the book over her shoulder with no care and hoped it landed in the fake fire.

"I find it completely bemusing, the main character is warned several times to stay away from this Edward man, and even after she realizes the monster he is; she wants to be with him. It is intriguing, I cannot wait until his self-control falters and he kills her." Loki looked positively gleeful at the prospect of that outcome, and Darcy had to remind herself that he was still getting over his pathologically insane murderous tendencies. Although she kind of understood where he was coming from.

"You and me both." Darcy muttered. "So, how do I get a pimped out place like this? Is that a marble chess set?" Her eyes wide in shock.

Loki shrugged, a gesture she was sure he learned from her. "Thor and I like to play, he tends to break anything weaker than marble."

"You and Thor playing chess? That must be like stealing candy from a baby." She was struck with the image of Thor crying and banging his fists against the chess set, pieces flying in every direction, after Loki beat him after three moves or something.

"Do not be deceived, Thor is a mighty warrior and his battle strategies are legendary on Asgard. He is a worthy opponent." It was strange to hear Loki talk so fondly and candidly about his brother. Darcy guessed they really were trying to mend bridges, metaphorical and rainbow, she mused, giving herself a small smirk at the rainbow bridge Thor and Jane spent a whole afternoon trying to tell her about. It still made her laugh at the idea of Thor and Loki cart wheeling over a colorful rainbow to get to Earth.

"Has he ever beaten you?"

It was Loki's turn to laugh. "Don't be ludicrous; I am the God of Mischief and Lies!"

"Fair enough. So, I'm sure you've overheard, I'm leaving tomorrow, so this is kind of goodbye." Darcy explained.

"I expected as much." He said, a grim look on his face. "Where are they sending you? I must come and visit."

"_'T__hey__' _are not sending me anywhere. _I'm_ going backpacking around Europe. I think..." Loki's mouth formed a small 'o' at her explanation. "You can still come and visit though; I'll give you my email address and phone number so we can stay in contact."

A small smile graced his features and Darcy felt like hugging him. She realized that for the first time, she actually could. "Not that we need that to communicate." He said tapping his temple. Darcy rolled her eyes. "I would like that."

"You were right, about the damage I'd cause." Darcy quietly admitted after a long silence. "I didn't know it back then, but you were warning me, weren't you? You knew about my dad and what could happen because of it." She shuddered and crossed her arms over her chest hoping he didn't notice. "I've replayed that conversation over and over and over and you were right. The longer I stay here like this, the more I fuck things up."

Loki didn't respond. So Darcy did what she always did in uncomfortable silences and that was, something stupid. She stood up and nudged Loki's arm with her hip, perching on the plush arm rest of his chair and tucked her feet between his legs. She wrapped her arms around his chest and leaned her head on his shoulder, giving a huge sigh of content as she relaxed on him. He slowly unclenched his muscles and relaxed into the embrace.

It was ten minutes of silence and one-sided hugging before he finally spoke up. "I saw myself in you. The situation you were about to face was hauntingly similar to my past. I saw my chance to redo things via you, Lady Darcy Lewis. That's why I'm here today. That's why I'm trying to be better." His fingers found their way into her hair in a comforting touch, and she felt silent tears run down her cheek onto his shirt. When would the tears ever stop?

"That's lame. I'm nowhere near as badass as you. You have that awesome hat thing." Darcy joked, one of her fingers poking him in her ribs then went to trail lazy circles over his heart. Did Asgardians have hearts like humans? "I'm terrible at mischief as well."

"That's not true. You stole your school trophy and used it to drink iced beverages and disregard your studies that one time." Loki chuckled. Darcy pulled back from him.

"How do you know that?" He raised a perfectly shaped dark eyebrow in answer. "Right, right, God of Mischief, blah blah, you must know every prank in the book." She rested her head back on his shoulder but didn't trace shapes on his chest anymore. "I'm glad things between you and Thor are getting better. Will you promise me something?" She didn't wait for an answer. "Make sure Jane is okay. She can drive herself to the brink of starvation when she's in her lab, make sure she eats and doesn't work herself out."

"I promise." She felt him smile as he pressed a kiss on the top of her head. "Promise me you'll focus on living your life and not worry about us."

"I'll try." That was as good as she could agree to. She knew better than to lie to the God of Lies... again.

"You should go. There are ten armed agents on the other side of the door ready to kill me if I so much as touch you inappropriately." Loki informed her, his delight was obvious.

"Annnnd what if I'm the one doing the inappropriate touching?" Darcy asked as innocently as she could manage, proud she didn't laugh halfway through the sentence.

"Then I will incur the wrath of Hawkeye, which I'd rather avoid for the time being." Loki said, words curt but tone littered with amusement. "Not since we've formed a sort of... How did Coulson describe it... a bromance, because of you."

Darcy choked on air and had to get up off of Loki in fear of hitting him in a fit of laughter. "A bromance? Seriously? Wow, that is awesome and totally accurate." Loki looked bemused at her odd reaction. After a few more minutes of Darcy's borderline insane laughing, she wiped the tears away and as her breathing returned to normal; she sat back down on the sofa opposite him and tucked her legs under her. "Right, so, I have a list of movies you need to watch while I'm gone, I've decided to be your Midgardian therapist, and my first task is to make you understand cult and pop references. First off, TV. Firefly and Nathan Fillion's gloriously tight pants."

Loki groaned and shrank back in his chair as Darcy went on to make him promise to stream all these shows on something called 'Netflix'.

Xxxxxx

* * *

The rest of Darcy's goodbyes were short and sweet, once everyone was sat around the table they usually frequented at The Wishing Will; she explained she was leaving, not giving them more of a reason expect 'to get some space and explore the world like she always wanted to after she graduated', it wasn't a complete lie. Tony offered her his private jet thinking the prospect of stripper waitresses would actually appeal to her and after a glass of wine, Darcy was tempted to say yes just for the experience until Pepper firmly shook her head and took the rest of the bottle away. Steve gave her a hug that winded her, then blushed for a solid half hour after he accidently touched the side of her left boob. Darcy was saddened that she would never be able to put that Captain America touched her breast on Facebook. Coulson and Hill kept their farewells professional yet friendly, each giving her a hand shake and then suspiciously leaving together after an appropriate amount of time. Darcy had already told Jane, Thor and Erik before they left the apartment; so she had already had her intimate moments with them. Bruce was the last person left standing at the bar, and the only one she hadn't spoken to all night.

"Hey big guy." She greeted with a firm slap on the back, making him jump and spill some of his water on his shirt. "Oh, sorry."

"It's okay, it's just water, nothing a little water can't get out." He joked, his lips forming at crooked smirk Darcy found so charming, something she wouldn't be telling Natasha anytime soon. "So, Paris… I've never been."

"I'll tell you all about it when I get back. Hey, any advice for someone who's travelling to find some self-perspective?" She knew it was cheeky to ask and hoped her mischievous smirk would win him over.

"All I can say is; it's not as easy to be a secret as you'd think." Darcy followed his line of vision and found herself staring at Natasha. "And someone fluttering their eyelashes at you if more effective than you'd care to let on." Natasha was smiling politely at something Pepper was saying, her eyes shining in the dim light, her hair perfectly framing her flawless pale skin, lips big, red and tempting. She wished she could hear what Bruce was thinking at the exact moment.

"When I get back, I expect you to have at least taken her out for a drink." Darcy said warningly.

"I… uhh…" He stuttered and looked down at the water in him hand. "She wouldn't."

"Bruce, she's been on the wrong side of your mean alter-ego and still looks at you like she wants to fuck you into next week. If that's not attraction, then I don't know what is." She left him looking flustered by the bar as she strolled over to Tony and Clint, who were standing on the opposite side, discussing arrow heads that could stick to a target and track within a thousand miles.

"Not planning on sticking one of those on me, are you?" She nudged Tony with her elbow. He raised his tumbler of brown liquid up at her to acknowledge her presence.

"Sorry, sweet cheeks, no point. I can trace your phone anytime I want." Darcy didn't feel too happy about that idea, she knew him better than to think he was just joking, then again, it was nice to know that he might check up on her once in a while.

"I'll miss you too Tony." Her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Don't think running away will get you off the hook about naming your first born after me. I have ways of finding these things out." Clint stiffened next to them, and Darcy suddenly found the floor incredibly interesting.

"I wouldn't put it past you Tony." Darcy gave the older man a shove, and he got distracted by something and walked off without so much as a 'see ya', leaving Clint and Darcy alone together.

Darcy stood there in silence, watching all the other people socialize in the dim bar, anything to stop her from facing Clint's burning gaze that was aimed at the side of her face. She smiled and gave a small wave to Thor who had waved first and smiled hugely at her. Thor couldn't thank her enough for all the time and effort she had put into Loki's 'rehabilitation' as Fury called it; the Asgardian had spent the last few days after she got out of hospital showering her with gifts and praises that she was able to get Loki to fully commit to The Avengers and their goals. The most awkward moment had been when he gave her a box of tampons then explaining he hoped no one else had already given her some because, and she quoted, 'Tony says woman only need them once a month'. She accepted them after she laughed so hard at his tilted head, bemused puppy dog expression that her ribs ached.

"You can stop pretending, Darce." Clint's warm breath was close to her ear that it made her body shiver. His actions had forced her to look up at him and his beautiful eyes. Her breath caught in her throat and a pulse rippled through her body that finished in her lower stomach. Damn stupid body and its silly female urges! Why did he still have to be wearing that light blue shirt that begged her to fist the material in her hands and rip it open?

"I'm not pretending." Her voice was too neutral, the smile of her face wasn't authentic, it was easy to overlook her attempt at normalcy when she was being so enthusiastic about her trip and seeing old friends in London, but Clint knew her too well. He always managed to see through her mask and ask the right question, a trait she used to love after a bad day in the lab with Jane but right now, it hurt too much to think about what troubled her inside and this was supposed to be a happy event.

Clint brushed a chunk of her hair behind her shoulder and let his hand cup her jaw, his eyes searching hers.

"Liar." He breathed, challenging her. Darcy's eyes dropped to his lips but returned to his the second she noticed her slip-up.

"I... I don't want to talk about this here."

"Darcy, I'm losing you the second you walk out that door tonight. Please don't spend our last hour together lying to me." He hissed, his jaw clenched, anger radiating from him in waves. She felt another pang, this time in her chest. She crossed her arms over her chest, wishing it was him she could wrap them around as she stroked her elbows.

"It's late. I have a long day tomorrow..." She gave a weak smile and turned to walk back to the table the rest of the team were located around.

"Wait, please." He reached for her elbow, catching it lightly in his rough hands. "Darcy, we can't leave us like this." He sighed. "Come on, we owe it to ourselves."

"What do you want me to do Clint? I love you; I love you so much it hurts to know I can't commit to you right now!" She shouted at him yet trying to keep her voice hushed in the crowded bar. "I want to be the person you deserve but I can't, not now... You don't want me to pretend, but if I stay here then that's all I would be doing, pretending I'm not a killer. I love you and I know you love me, you would hate me to pretend to be okay when _I'm not okay_, you know that. So can you just accept this because it's getting more and more painful to talk about, alright?"

"So what, you killed someone, I don't care, it doesn't change how I feel about you." He ran his other hand over her soft hair, his body stepping closer to her. Why did he have to smell so good? Like wood and mint and something entirely him. Spice?

"You're not listening! It changed me, Clint. Can we just not do this again here? I don't want-" She squeezed her eyes closed, the image of Jackson's lifeless eyes flashed behind her lids causing them to fly open, wide. "I don't want to cry in front of everyone."

"Okay. I'll stop begging you, mainly because I hate begging but because there's no point. Your minds made up, there's no point in trying to change it." He quoted her words from earlier. "But, one day, when you need someone, when you're done running, you call me, because there's no one else for me, Darcy Kathleen Lewis. You are the one for me and I'll come running to you… when you are ready." Darcy smiled weakly up at him, the mood between them shifting rapidly, tears threatening to spill for completely different reasons than before. He understood. He wasn't okay with her decision to leave but he understood and another little weight lifted off her shoulders.

"Thank you." She said quietly, looking at the distance between them and not at his eyes, where she knew she'd see so many emotions she couldn't handle.

She spun on her heels and walked away, knowing that was as perfect goodbye as they will ever have.

"Guys, I'm going to bed, it's late, and I have a busy day tomorrow!" There were the customary groans from everyone and quick final byes and hugs and wishes of luck. She kept her smile wide and hoped she didn't look like an insane woman. She quickly headed out of the bar, avoiding Clint at all costs, upset yet glad he had okay'd her leaving in his own way. It was hard to describe, but with his reluctant approval, it finally felt like the right decision.

She pressed the elevator button with a knuckle on her clenched fist and waited for the doors to open. She felt a presence stand next to her and closed her eyes, praying it both was and wasn't him.

It wasn't.

She didn't see him again.

She entered her room, heading straight to her bedroom, stepping over the suitcase that lay open on her floor; Darcy let out a ragged breath and cried herself to sleep. Waking up the next morning, she found bruises on her arms and legs and fresh wet patches on her pillow.

She had had another nightmare.

It was funny; she didn't have them when Clint slept next to her… No, not funny. Sardonic.

The next day Jane, Erik and Thor drove her to the airport. Natasha tagged along and Darcy had a feeling it wasn't because S.H.I.E.L.D ordered her to be there which meant a lot that the super spy _wanted_ to just be there for her. Her farewell was cut short when people began to recognize Thor, honestly it wasn't hard to miss him given his size and his ability to ask questions about completely normal things at a loud volume, and Natasha, the infamous Black Widow.

Natasha tried to excuse herself, but Darcy told her it was fine after seeing a small girl with pig-tails and a Black Widow backpack look sad because she didn't have the chance to have a photo with her idol. How could Darcy take Natasha away from that?

Darcy slipped away and left Jane and Erik holding peoples' phones to take pictures with two of The Avengers. She kind of preferred it that way, now she didn't have to act all smiles when she wanted to curl up in a ball and cry until she was fixed. No, Darcy told herself firmly, this trip wasn't about feeling sorry for herself, it was about finding herself.

Getting settled into her seat for the long flight, Darcy opened the main section of her bag that held her iPod; she spotted a familiar object that she definitely didn't put in there. She glanced around the plane, looking for anything suspicious and finding nothing. She slowly lifted the book out and flipped it over in her hands. It was her copy of that cheesy romance novel she thought she'd lost. It was exactly the same as she remembered it only the pages were a little wavy from drying after the sauna. She thumbed all the pages while holding the spine of the book in one hand and felt the ghost of a smile on her face as she was hit with the soft fan of mint, wood and spice.

For the first time since Jackson had taken her, she finally felt like she could breathe.

She opened the first page with caution and began to read, losing herself into the world of the heroine, already hoping she would end up with the hero, even though she long memorized it cover to cover and knew, despite the difficulties they faced, the boy and girl always ended up together.

Xxxxxx

* * *

The End.

Xxxxxx

* * *

Thank you. For reading. For sticking with me along the roller-coaster that has been my first full fic!

Please review.

I would absolutely love to hear your opinions and thoughts on my story, constructive feedback is really really appreciated along with spelling errors/grammar mistakes that I can fix so please please don't hold back.

Let's see if I can get the review to 600 which would just be the icing on the cake of this wonderful experience!

Thanks again for reading all of this, I cannot express how much my heart soars to know that so many people are enjoying my story! I never thought four and a half months ago that this would ever get this far.

Charlie


	25. Epilogue

Breathe

Xxxxxx

* * *

Epilogue

It was an awkward phone call with her dad, but Darcy managed to get through it without raising any suspicions. She even asked Natasha to be there to guide her with her super awesome ninja spy skills just in case she got stuck or let something slip and she needed a way to fix it. She had a piece of paper written in front of her that she'd made earlier, filled with lies and an agenda of things she needed to tell her dad; so she didn't get lost or flustered and ramble like Darcy knew she was prone to doing.

She scrolled down and found the familiar number that she knew off by heart and let her finger hover over the screen for a moment before tapping down, the screen changed and morphed into a dialing animation and Darcy took a deep breath in, no chance to back out now, she thought to herself as she brought the phone up to her ear.

"Daddy!" She cried out with unhindered joy when she heard her father's voice answer. It really had been _too _long since she'd last seen him. A lot of stuff had happened. Thor... Searching for Thor... Tromso... New York... Clint... Darcy got lost in her thoughts but snapped out of it when her dad started his usual question routine.

"How are you, darling? I wasn't expecting a phone call, is everything alright?" She used to just think those questions were concerned parent questions, now Darcy could hear the underlining threat and subtle danger that lingered behind those words. Like he would hurt someone if she said no. Her father, William Lewis, was not like other dads, he was a trained killer. She would totally have won all those 'my dad's better than yours' fights she had in pre-school if she'd known back then that her dad was a freakin' spy!

"I'm fine, just wanted to chat." Darcy closed her eyes as she heard the reoccurring and haunting pop and crunch behind her eardrums that she would never forget. She pushed down a shiver and gave a huge smile on her side of the phone, it didn't help her feel better; but she knew it would help make her voice believable enough that her dad and Natasha wouldn't question it. Darcy threw a quick look at the red-headed spy, her eye brows were knitted together with concern and something else. Darcy hadn't told anyone about the lingering memories of Jackson dying, that moment when she crush- when his eyes- Darcy shuddered, she wasn't going to start talking about it now, because then she knew Natasha would never let her leave, let alone Clint... Clint, Darcy's breath caught in her throat as she remembered how hurt he'd looked those few hours ago when she told him she was leaving. No. She couldn't go down that route right now; it wouldn't end well if she did, and she had bigger fish to fry, as it were. "Are you okay to talk?"

"Always for you. Let me just turn off the stove so I can sit and talk to my favorite girl." Darcy rolled her eyes at how he had to make sure the oven wasn't left unattended for as short as 5 minutes, it seemed so unreal and domesticated now she knew what he could really do.

"Actually, there was a reason I called-" She began, tension rising in her shoulders.

"I knew it. How much do you need?" Her dad interrupted. She didn't blame him, when she was at college that was the only reason she'd ever rung him. Well, that and because she'd promised to call at least twice a week, feeling bad that he was alone in that big empty house.

"No, dad, it's not about money. Actually, I just got a bonus from work, so I'm fine." Darcy said, half telling the truth. "I was going to use some of my bonus to go on holiday, actually."

"That's wonderful. But you work too much for my liking, they over work you. You only live once and I'd hate for you to miss out on your youth because you spent too much time working." Her warm father's voice comforted her, and she felt a sad wisdom under his tone. He obviously regretted his career. He'd lost so much that he could never get back because of it and Darcy already was beginning to feel that loss. That's why she had to leave, she told herself assertively.

"That's not true. Jane is brilliant and I'm far from overworked. I love my job. Plus Jane is giving me time off for this holiday thing." Darcy lied smoothly, slipping in the holiday thing in more now, like it wasn't a huge thing.

"Still. All that crazy science, I don't like it." With good reason, Darcy thought with a smirk. "I know you love it; I still think you made the wrong choice, quitting school..."

"Gee, thanks dad." If only he knew the truth…

"Ignore me, I'm just being a grumpy old man. Tell me about this holiday, where are you planning on going? Are you going alone?" Darcy instantly froze, eyes wide at his sudden stern tone directed at her. Shit! She had not planned for that question. Fuck. He dad would totally _not_ be okay with her going alone, not that she would be alone, Fury pretty much told her point blank that he'd have agents watching her back everywhere she went, not that she could tell her dad _that _either. Fuck fuck, she needed to think of someone and fast, or this gap of silence would be too long to explain. Clint? Everyone else seemed to think Clint was going with her. Could she say she was going with a man? No! This was her father she was talking to! That would only lead to waaay more questions that she didn't want to deal with. Darcy opened her mouth and turned to neck to look at Natasha who was sitting completely still; the only change in her position was that she was pointing a perfectly elegant finger at herself, her face unchanged like it was the most obvious thing in the world. Which it kind of was; if Darcy hadn't started to freak herself out like she was so well known for doing.

Oh!

"No, I'm going with a work friend, she works for the same company. It'll be a short trip, like five days to Paris, maybe stop off in London on the way back and see Gemma, you remember her? From my English class, she had glasses and a gap in her teeth until her parents paid to fix it." Darcy saw Natasha move in the corner of her eye and glanced over to see her waving a hand across her neck in a 'cut it off' motion. Darcy nodded and zipped her lip, she guessed rambling was a giveaway.

"You've never mentioned this other girl before, how can I trust she'll keep you safe?"

"Dad, I'm a big girl, you taught me well enou-" Darcy was kicked swiftly in the leg and stopped talking. "Plus, Nat's awesome. She's like a ninja." Darcy replied, rubbing her shin awkwardly with both hands while balancing the phone to her face with her shoulder. She threw a glare at the older woman and stuck her tongue out, knowing that her dad wouldn't find her slang comment unusual. "Hang on, I'm just doing something, can I put you on speaker?" Darcy asked, trying to sound casual as she pressed multiple buttons on the phone and his voice filled the room.

"You've already done it, haven't you?" He asked with a sigh and Darcy could picture him pinching the bridge of his nose, pushing his reading glasses up as he did so.

"Yep!" She called a little louder to the speaker after placing the phone on the table in front of her.

"What's her name? Nat?" His tone was just the right level of curious and suspicious that it flagged a warning sign in Natasha's and Darcy's minds.

Natasha quickly grabbed a pen and wrote on her arm 'Natalie Rushman' which Darcy quickly told him. Damn, even her penmanship in hast is better than Darcy's neatest most careful handwriting. If Darcy didn't know for a fact that Natasha could kill her, then she would be tempted to hate the woman. Who was she kidding, Darcy loved Natasha, she was practically perfect in every way, like Mary Poppin's but with guns.

"Rushman?" He asked, curious again. Natasha mouthed words that looked like 'security check' and her eyebrows knitted together as she fished out a S.H.I.E.L.D issue tablet and brought up 'Natalie Rushman's' profile on the FBI and CIA databases side by side.

"Yep." Darcy tried to stay firm, while her mind was reeling. S.H.I.E.L.D has permission to just browse the FBI and CIA records? It made sense, but was still kind of freaky to see firsthand. She wondered if she could borrow that and snoop through some people she'd met in the past… "She's always wanted to go to Paris, and I loved it when I went after Senior Year and always had plans to go back one day." Darcy tried to sound casual again, finding the lying oddly easy, considering she practically never lied to her dad her whole life. They always had such a good relationship. Darcy frowned, struck with guilt at how she could no longer be open and honest with her father but pushed it down when she remembered it was him who had caused all this trouble in her life in the first place.

"Oh, is she sensible?"

"Dad, she's a great person. Couple years older than me, but she is totally cool. She'll look after me- Not that she has to!" Darcy quickly covered herself.

Natasha placed the tablet on the table next to the phone silently and pointed at a flashing icon over her fake alias that said 'Breach' in bold flashing letters. Darcy's mouth fell open as she pointed at her phone, asking a silent question to which Natasha nodded in response. Her dad was seriously checking up on her friend? Did he always do that? Darcy was suddenly very glad she'd never had a long term boyfriend that she brought home; Lord knows what her dad would have checked up on him if she had.

"Alright… she sounds alright." The icon stopped flashing and Darcy let out a breath of air she didn't know she was holding. Had her dad really just done a background check on a S.H.I.E.L.D agent, which involved hacking into some of the most secure databases in the world? Even a week after finding out the truth, things like this were completely weird and alien to her.

"She's great. You'd like her." Darcy added for good effect before trying to move on. "Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that I'm leaving tomorrow. I know its short notice!" She said before he could interrupt. "But it was a really good offer, and we couldn't say no, Jane is more than happy to let me go for a couple weeks." Darcy didn't tell him that she didn't know how long she would be traveling, thinking it would probably be easier to ask for forgiveness than permission. She was struck with the worry that maybe she'd been spending a little bit too much time around Loki with a smirk. Yep, she'd definitely been hanging out with the God of Mischief too often.

"Tomorrow? That is short notice." Even Darcy could pick up on his odd tone and Natasha started tapping on the tablet again much to Darcy's concern. "I know a couple of friends in Paris; I could email them and see if you could stay with them." Darcy struggled to find words, panic forming in her throat as she looked over at Natasha for help. "They could show you around."

She was shaking her head 'no' and pointing to her eyes with two fingers then at Darcy in the universal sign for 'watching you'. Darcy understood who her dad's 'friends' really were.

"No!" She winced at how panicked that sounded. "I don't need your friends to look out for me. I'm 23 for god's sake." She felt Loki appear in her mind for a split second then disappear when he realized there was no trouble. Another odd sensation she was still having trouble getting used it.

Darcy wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth, if a God who had infinitely more power and knowledge than her wanted to keep his eye out for her safety; then she really wasn't going to complain. It was nice to know that the man who was once so confused and angry, who felt lost and wanted to destroy and enslave humankind, now felt a connection to something and wanted to protect it was an amazing accomplishment, even if said something was her, the very thing he planned to dominate. She only hoped she didn't call out for him by accident during one of her more embarrassing moments. Not that she'd be having any of that for a while… Still, it was fun to tease him and think strange or inappropriate things in his direction, but Loki had made it clear that he could do exactly the same thing back to her if he wished, and proved it rather well when he sent the image of Thor with his arms crossed but fondling his bicep in the middle of a meeting the whole team was having. Darcy had burst out laughing, much to everyone's confusion and had to explain that Loki was sending her funny ideas and not that she was having a mental breakdown, although she didn't think it really helped prove that wrong either. Loki followed up with the picture of Tony reading Hulk a bed time story and Darcy managed to spit out half a can of Diet Coke across the meeting room table much to Jane's disgust and Fury's anger.

"Dad, I'm doing this, it's gonna be awesome and I'll send you a postcard _every day_, okay?"

There was a long pause.

"Okay?" She pressed a little harder.

"Okay."

"Good." Darcy said with a proud smile. Despite her dad being a secret agent man, Darcy still knew he could never say no to her. She always managed to wrap him around her finger, how else would she have the money to do a random internship in the middle of nowhere for a whole summer? "Now, how are you?"

"I'm as good as I can be, given my age."

Darcy rolled her eyes. "You're only 55. You're hardly an old man."

"Thanks, darling, I appreciate that but I've already said okay to the trip, there's no need to flatter me now."

Darcy opened her mouth to speak again but stopped. Her dad, for the first time, really sounded old. She wasn't sure if it was because he had spent too long in early retirement or whether her new knowledge of his secret life aged him, but she felt tears well up behind her eyes and had to quickly wipe them away before they fell.

"Dad?" She answered tentatively.

"Yes, darling?"

She tried again to open her mouth, hunting for something that would make everything better, but came up blank, her mouth empty. She wanted to say it was all okay, that she knew what Jackson had done and that she'd killed him, but she was ashamed of what he'd think, her father was a good man and he would surely be shocked and appalled to find out he'd raised a murderer. Darcy wanted to yell and tell him it was his fault she was kidnapped and tortured, but she could never handle the guilt that it would cause him either. Darcy shut her mouth and gave a dry swallow before trying to speak again and failing.

She loved her dad. But, she also hated him. It was a horrible feeling and Darcy couldn't stop it from building up inside her until she wanted to yell at him for lying to her; then cry over how tragic his life was. She felt Loki's presence again, and it was soothing to know he understood how she felt and was there for her. Loki gave her a gentle pull, and she knew she couldn't say anything, now was not a time for hostility. Knowing his regret for doing the same thing with his father, she learned from his mistakes and was thankful for his support.

"Darcy?" He pried, disturbed at her sudden silence.

"Yeah, sorry. I- I just miss you. If Jane will let me have more time off, I'm coming home for a bit, okay?" Darcy tried to reassure him. "I want to see what you've done with the kitchen." She said with a sad smile, knowing how much time he'd put into refurbishing the kitchen months before hand, she found his lengthy emails and phone calls about paint and types of material for work surfaces dull and tedious at the time, but that was before Thor and now she longed for normal and boring, yet it seemed the furthest thing possible.

"I've just had a man around about the bathroom; I'd love to see what you think." He said enthusiastically about his daughter visiting or the bathroom, she couldn't tell.

Darcy ran a hand through her hair and felt Natasha's hand stroke her back lightly. "That's great!" She didn't know why this was so hard… Being normal…

"I'd never touch your room though, darling."

Darcy sighed, giving a slight laugh. "Dad, I'm grown up now, that room would be better as a gym or an office. It's useless just sitting there empty."

"Never. Because then where would you stay if you even wanted to come home?" Her dad's voice and sentiment warmed her down the phone. She felt the bitter rage towards him dripping away slowly.

"Fine! Keep it as a shrine or whatever." Darcy laughed, her attention snapping away from the phone as she and Natasha spun around at the sound of the door to her apartment opening then slamming shut behind the person with too much force. It didn't take much to guess who it was, Darcy rolled her eyes. Would the God ever learn his strength? Darcy winced at the memory of Tony throwing a vase once because he didn't like it anymore, with swiftness Darcy didn't know the God possessed, he caught it only to smash it with the sheer power of his grasp. They all laughed, but Darcy was getting a little fed up of finding broken things stashed around the apartment that Thor had wrecked then tried to hide so Jane wouldn't find out and be angry.

"Lady Darcy! Are you present?" Thor's voice was nothing less than booming.

"Dad, I gotta go. Jane's boyfriend just showed up; so she shouldn't be far behind and I should go distract him before he breaks something." Darcy covered quickly, taking the phone off loud speaker in hopes that if Thor said anything randomly about S.H.I.E.L.D or The Avengers then her dad wouldn't hear.

"The oaf?"

"That's him alright." Darcy replied with a wistful smirk. She had mentioned Thor in a couple of her emails to her dad, using an alias that S.H.I.E.L.D had made for him.

"When are you going to get a boy to bring home?" Her father asked, his intentions good, but Darcy really didn't want to think about anything like that right then.

"Dad..." She whined. "I'm too busy."

"Jane's your manager and she has time." He countered; calling her out on what was a lame excuse anyway. She knew her dad just wanted her to settle down with a nice man, and Darcy once thought she might have that luxury, but not now. She now knew what it was like to fall in love, she knew what it was like to be loved, and then she discovered the pain of heartbreak. It took a lot to break Clint's heart but hers too needed to heal. She had been in love, she still was, but that didn't come with the happy singing, dancing and birds chirping that Disney promised her it would. No, it meant she had her control taken from her by him while simultaneously gaining power over that same person. Love, it was what Tony called a 'terrible privilege' and now Darcy knew why.

"Well, there's no fit guys here anyway. Science is just full of nerds who spend all their time looking in telescopes, high strung women and then lil' old me." Darcy lied, ignoring the stab in her heart as Clint's face popped into her mind and won't leave. She wondered what he was up to, probably taking out his emotions on some poor defenseless newbies, Natasha was with her, so she knew he wasn't with his usual sparring partner, Darcy wasn't sure if that was a good or a bad thing. "Maybe I'll meet someone in Paris or London, and then I'll move abroad and marry them." Darcy teased, knowing her empty threat would end their conversation. It did.

William Lewis gave an uncomfortable cough down the phone and moved on.

"Maybe you should be single a little longer." He decided for her, making Darcy smirk at how easy he was to wind up.

"Agreed. Anyway, I better go. I think I hear plates being smashed. I love you." Darcy said quickly.

"I love you too, darling. I want daily emails from Paris or I'll send in the big guns to check you're alright." He said with a warm laugh but Darcy believed him wholly.

"Daily emails and postcards, got it. How will I ever have time to have fun when I'm writing all the time?" She said whimsically.

"That's the point, sweetheart! I'll see you soon, I'm not going to let go of your coming home soon promise. Tell me when you land so I know you're safe."

Darcy looked around the living room, Jane had come in now and was helping Thor chop up vegetables for dinner, Natasha was sitting on the chair next to her, listening in on every word, ready to help if Darcy needed it but with a tweak in her eyebrows that Darcy had come to associate with 'support'. She felt the brush of Loki checking up on her emotional state and smiled.

"I've never been safer." Darcy said with a smile as she wished her dad goodbye and hung up, knowing it was only a matter of time before everything came to light and then she'd really have to deal with the consequences.

Speaking of which…

"Nat?" Her eyebrows pinched closer together as she bit her lip in anticipation.

"Yes?"

"Promise me you'll look after him." It wasn't a question and Natasha knew it.

"Let me worry about him, you need to focus on yourself for a while."

Darcy gave a bitter laugh, but was thankful for the older woman's support. "I'll never stop worrying about him." She admitted. "Just… I couldn't forgive myself…" She took a deep breath and closed her eyes tightly. "If he wasn't happy." Darcy paused for a long while before finding the strength to look Natasha in the eye convincingly. "Even if that's not with me." It was the final stab in her chest that she could take before cracking and admitting how lost and scared she was, how she wanted to be selfish and not leave Clint but she wasn't what he deserved.

"Darcy-" Natasha's eyebrows started doing that hypnotizing thing and Darcy had to stop it or she'd break.

"No." She interrupted the spy, which wasn't as scary of a thing as it was when she first met the S.H.I.E.L.D agent; she guessed they really were friends now. "He's so good and strong and… fragile… He works so hard and does so much amazing stuff, he's saved hundreds of people, like thousands if you think about it, maybe millions? I don't know. But that's just how awesome he is. And I can't give him anything close to that." She could hear his voice in her head, telling her that she was all he wanted, begging her to stay. It pained her and Natasha must have noticed. "Surely there's a spy here that'll be good for him? Some Olympic level gymnast or swimmer or something."

"I understand, but no. Clint is strong willed, I can't force him to give up on you. Especially, because _I _don't want him to." Darcy gave a weak smile and was met with one in return. Natasha was still routing for her? That was good to know. "I'll look after him so he'll be ready for you when you get back." Natasha said warmly and Darcy wanted to thank her a hundred different ways for it.

"In one piece?" She kidded, hoping to make the conversation a bit lighter, not knowing if she could take much more.

"Yes, although if you both don't immediately fall into each others beds once you return, I can't promise I won't break either of you." Natasha joined in on the joke, her long arm wrapping around Darcy's shoulders and giving her a slightly too tight squeeze, as if paying a deposit of her threat.

"Alright! Alright! Just don't snap my neck before I go! Geez…" Darcy rubbed her neck over dramatically and they both laughed lightly before heading to the kitchen area. Darcy gave a quick glance into her bedroom, her door propped open with a suitcase.

With all loose ends tied, more or less, all she had to do now was pack, she thought with a sigh. Looking over at Jane, who was analyzing a cookbook as if it was the most complicated thing in the world, Darcy thanked God that she was a much more organized person than Jane and would at least have the sense to bring the basics on her trip like her passport and not a random sneaker or a coat hanger unlike the brilliant scientist she followed 30 thousand kilometers around the world for a few months previous.

Yep, following Jane and her crazy, but often correct, ideas had led to the biggest, best and worse adventure Darcy could have ever imagined. She stole a sliced piece of carrot and popped it in her mouth, crunching on the raw vegetable, she wondered if there was a suitable gift she could get that both thanked and blamed someone for something like the past three months of her life? There must at least be a card for that…

Xxxxxx

* * *

Sequel will be up after I've finished Suspend My Disbelief (my Loki/Darcy fic, please check it out!) alone with my wonderful Beta's fic, Hide and Seek, you can find a link to both in my profile.

Thank you for all the support and continued reading of my fic, it's been such a huge part of my life and I can't thank you enough.

I hope you liked this little scene, and I promise there will definitely be more of William Lewis in the sequel, this was just a sneak peak ;-) So let me know what you think!

Reviews are not necessary but completely welcomed and appreciated!

Until next time,

Charlie


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